Final Salvation: A Madness Combat Fanfiction
by Spirit9871
Summary: The Auditor was dead. The three heroes, Hank, Sanford, and Deimos live in Nevada 3 years later. However, they are hated by society. The famous 3 had killed A.A.H.W. members who used to have families and were forced to fight. Things seemed to stay that way until Deimos has an idea that will change their lives forever. Will they be forgiven? Or will destiny get the better of them?
1. Aftermath

Chapter 1: Aftermath

* * *

The Auditor was long gone. Dead in fact, as well as the core of the Agency Against Hank Wimbleton (or A.A.H.W. as it is commonly called). The three brilliant fighting legends, Hank, Sanford, and Deimos, had finally won the battle for freedom from the dictatorship of the Auditor; a powerful yet evil man who had threatened not only the hometown of the three fighters, Nevada, but all of the United States as well.

With all three improbability drives destroyed, things seemed to finally go back to normal for the world around them. The sky was blue and the sun was shining bright; a sight that they fought with their lives for. Hank, the strongest of the three, had died more than 8 times, and was resurrected again and again by supernatural forces against his will. Sanford had survived the slaughtering without meeting death once. Deimos, however, was killed at the climax of the entire struggle. Even though all three of them had gone somewhat unrewarded through it all, their efforts paid off, not only with liberty, but with rewards from their god-powerful leaders, the "Higher Powers".

Hank was returned from his monster-like state into a normal human being again; with all of his scars being removed and mangled body parts put back in place. Even though he didn't need it, Hank decided to keep the outfit (his Madness Combat 7 one) because, you had to admit, it was pretty badass. And of course, you can't forget his retirement gift: a giant blender.

Sanford's scars too were removed. He was given a new hook as an antique from the bloodshed he had gone through and a really nice car to replace the one that was destroyed (in Madness Combat 9).

Deimos was, of course, brought back to life with his body fully intact. Sanford was glad to see his friend back again and thanked the Higher Powers for giving him a second chance although they said that they weren't going to make anymore revivals. Deimos was given a new supercomputer and a large machinegun (much like the one in Madness Combat 7.5).

So the three were returned back to their normal states, and were given a home that they didn't need to pay the bills and taxes for (since they did save Nevada from utter destruction). But there were two problems.

First, although their physical scars had been healed, their mental and emotional scars weren't. After all, how could you go completely back to normal after killing dozens of people? Hank, Sanford, and Deimos were sleepless for some nights because of the constant adrenaline of enemies sneaking up on them rushing through their bodies.

Secondly, even though they had risked their lives and had gotten injured badly in the process, Hank, Sanford and Deimos, weren't seen with the hero status they ultimately deserved. In fact, they were seen as monsters. Some of the A.A.H.W. members were forced against their will to fight for the Auditor, and were taken away from their homes and families. They couldn't show pain or weakness because the Auditor would just kill them otherwise.

And most of those members, Hank, Sanford, and Deimos had killed; members who had wanted to go home to those they loved.

So, the ultimate question is this: how can you be forgiven by someone's family after you killed him?

Society is a strong, powerful, force that not even the Higher Powers could fix.

It's up to the three men to choose the road of destiny to walk on.


	2. Murder is Murder

Chapter 2: Murder is Murder

* * *

Sanford was the first to wake up. Or, at least, get out of bed. It was one of those sleepless nights again.

He checked the clock on the table beside him. 3:00 in the morning. Why does he even bother trying anymore?

Deimos and Hank were still somewhat sleeping. But he knew that even the slightest sound would wake both of them up immediately. He quietly walks down the hallway to the kitchen and makes a cup of coffee. Then, he sits down at a chair positioned right in front of the table.

Sanford sighed. 'Damn adrenaline rush.' he thought to himself.

He picks up his cup, but he accidently spills some of the hot coffee on himself.

"Shit!" he yells in pain. The lack of sleep was taking a toll on him. Sanford could dodge bullets aimed right at him, but he couldn't react fast enough to spilling coffee all over himself.

He picks up a towel, dampens it with cold water, and wipes the stains off his clothes.

"Sanford, it's three in the morning, why the hell are you up so damn early?"

Sanford jumps at the sudden comment. He turns around and finds Deimos rubbing his eyes nearby leaning on the wall.

Sanford sighs. "I'm sorry, I can't sleep again."

Deimos walks towards the table and sits across from him. "I don't blame ya. I really can't either."

He chuckles. "Looks like we both have the same problem don't we?"

Deimos grins. "Yeah, I guess so."

"I made some coffee, you want some?"

"Sure."

Sanford pulls out another cup, pours some coffee in it, and gives it to Deimos. He quietly sips from his cup.

After a few minutes of silence, Sanford spoke. "Deimos?"

"Yeah?"

"How long has it been?"

"For what?"

"You know, since we killed the Auditor."

Deimos stares down at his coffee. "3 to 4 years I think."

"And Nevada still hasn't forgiven us for what we done?" Sanford questioned.

Deimos turns away and looks out the window to the city. "I don't really blame them either. After all, we were the ones who killed most of the guys that had families here."

"Yeah, but we had no choice. They were in our way." Sanford said in a louder voice.

"That's true. But still, we murdered them. And murder is murder."

Sanford knew Deimos was right, but he wanted to hear more. "So who's right in this situation? Us or them?"

"Nobody's right. And nobody's wrong. We committed crimes for the sake of Nevada, and that's probably the only reason we're not being hunted down by the police right now." Deimos answered.

Sanford slumped back in his chair. "Stupid bastards..."

Deimos turned to look at him. "You shouldn't be angry at them too Sanford. If somebody had killed me just to live, wouldn't you be mad?"

Sanford thought long and hard on that statement. He hadn't thought of it like that. The picture of Deimos's dead body flashed back in his head and so did the anger he felt at the time. "I'd kill the son of a bitch." he muttered.

Deimos nodded. "I would too if somebody killed you. But it's up to us and what we do now will hopefully make society accept us."

Sanford bit his lower lip. "I don't give half a shit about what those ungrateful jerks think about us! I say we get out of this town, move somewhere else, and start fresh. Maybe New York or California."

Deimos shook his head. "People would eventually find out about us everywhere we go. It'll just be the same thing over and over again. Besides, this home was given to us by the Higher Powers. We don't need to pay to live here. We earned it."

Sanford looked down at his half-empty cup. "I wish we had more." he whispered.

Deimos puts his hand on Sanford's shoulder. "We have each other Sanford. Me, you, and Hank. That's the most important thing now."

Sanford nodded. He was glad to have Deimos as a partner; he fought everything with him so he was glad to have someone to talk to. Then, he felt a bit guilty for Hank. He fought all alone all this time. It wasn't until he died 4 times that Sanford and Deimos got to meet their idol, and that was just to give him a sword and run off from a psychotic clown.

"Oh Hank, you're awake." Deimos said, looking across Sanford's shoulder.

Sanford turned to see Hank standing with his hands in his pockets.

"I _was_ awake the whole time you guys were talking." Hank said in his low voice.

"Did you hear what we were saying?" Sanford asked.

"I did catch on to a couple of words, but not much. If it doesn't have to do with me, I don't honestly care." Hank shrugged.

"But it does have something to do with you." Deimos told him.

"Okay then. Brief me." Hank said as he sat down at the table.

While Deimos explained to Hank what they were talking about, Sanford made a third cup of coffee for Hank, which he gratefully accepted.

"...and that's pretty much it." Deimos finished.

Hank picked up his cup and pulled down his mask. After drinking down every drop, he put down the cup.

"So what do you think?" Deimos asked him.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. Well the coffee's pretty good, and I'm glad to finally have my jaw back on in one piece. Otherwise, it would spill out of the holes in my mouth." Hank answered.

Although Sanford and Deimos were interested in visualizing the image of coffee spilling out of Hank's mouth like a sprinkler, Deimos shook his head. "No, not the coffee, I'm talking about what Sanford and I were saying."

Hank sighed. He sat silent.

"Well?" Deimos questioned impatiently.

"Well," he started, "I honestly think you and Sanford shouldn't think these thoughts anymore."

Deimos shifted back into his chair with shock showing clearly on his face. "Wh-what? What are you talking about? Why not?"

"Because," Hank responded, getting ready to get off his chair. "we all know too damn well that it will never happen."

"Sure it will! It can happen!" Deimos shouted, forcing a smile to hide the disgust of hearing his idol giving up.

"Damn it Deimos, you'll wake up the neighbors if you scream that loud! I don't want them to think we're having sex or something!" Sanford said in a low yet sharp tone.

Deimos looked down, blushing a bit at the random picture Sanford threw at him. "Sorry." he said.

Hank ignored what the two of them said. "Anyways, it won't happen because you can't take back murder. If you steal something, you can easily give it back to the person you stole it from. If you lie, you can easily tell the truth. But not murder. If you kill someone, you can't bring him or her back."

Deimos swallowed loudly while Sanford stood with his arms crossed. Hank washed his cup in the sink and leaves it out to dry as he walks to the living room to watch TV.

Deimos pulled out a cigarette and his lighter. "I need to smoke." he said, and walked swiftly out the house to relieve himself from the stress.

Sanford snaps back to reality. He saw how devastated Deimos was. After all, Deimos was younger than the both of them, and wanted to experience life with others. What Hank had said was like pushing someone from a heaven of dreams and hope they created for themselves, down to the hard concrete of reality that waited.

"And you think, Hank, that it really is impossible to do that? To become accepted by society even after what we've done?" Sanford asked him.

Hank nodded while watching some comedy skits on the television. He wasn't laughing.

"Well, it wasn't possible for a sky to turn blood-red back then was it? Or a clown surviving after getting the top of its head cut off and turning into a demon-monster while falling down a cliff. Or for three normal people to destroy a whole army of men wanting to take over the world. _Or _for somebody to come back to life after dying 8 times in a row."

Hank looked at Sanford. "Those were the old days Sanford. The days when we could shoot an A.A.H.W. agent and don't give a crap about what would happen afterwards. The days when there were improbability drives. And just to let you know, those days are over."

Sanford stared and shook his head. "You know Hank, you might be just fantastic at killing people, but you really don't have some common sense. Deimos sees you like his hero, like the father he never had. I hope you at least realize that." and walked out to comfort Deimos the way Deimos had for him.

Hank didn't say anything. To be honest, he did wish for that future too. That salvation far better than begging to die to end the pain, but was cruelly denied for not finishing his mission. Was this why he didn't have a partner? Was he incompatible, and will he always be this way?

Hank chuckled to himself. "And to think I thought of myself as a god. Me, the brilliant Hank J. Wimbleton can't even figure out, or at least, remember what it meant to have friends."

He flipped through the channels and stopped. Ironically, the show "Friends" was on.

* * *

A/N: So how was it? I know some things might change after Madness day 2012 (9/22/12) and so-forth, but I just want to remind you that I wrote this after Madness Combat 10 had came out. This is my first fanfiction, so I would appreciate some reviews and pointers. Thanks for reading, and don't worry, a lot of action will follow through soon. This is going to be a long story.


	3. The Worst Night Hank Ever Experienced

A/N: I've read on more about fanfictions and I realized how long a good fanfic chapter is. I'm sorry for the short two chapters I've had before. From now on, I'm writing at least 2,000 to 3,000 words per chapter. So, without further a-do, I give you Chapter 3 of Final Salvation.

* * *

Chapter 3: The Worst Night Hank had Ever Experienced

* * *

Hank sat on the couch for a while watching different shows that would just pop up to him. He didn't know how long he was sitting there, and didn't honestly care. Eventually, it was 4:30 in the morning when he started getting pissed and a bit worried about Sanford and Deimos.

'Where the hell are they?' he thought.

After getting tired of watching television, he decided to call Deimos's cell phone.

'Come on, pick up. Jebus!' he muttered as the phone continued to ring.

Eventually, someone did pick up, but Hank heard something he never expected.

"Herro?" A voice said.

'What the hell?' Hank thought. He shook it off and believed it was just a dumb joke.

"Cut the crap. Who's this?" Hank answered demandingly.

"It's mei Samfurd brah! How due yu not remembah mei?" the voice answered. Hank, not being a total idiot, knew whoever speaking was 'Sanford'.

"Sanford? Where the hell are you! You've been gone for an hour!" Hank yelled.

"No kneed to beh pissed brah! We weh juzt...having some funz man!" Sanford told him in a dizzying voice.

"Wha-? Never mind, where's Deimos? I want to talk to him." Hank asked.

"Deimoz?"

"Yeah."

"Okayz! Heyy Deimoz! The fone iz forz yuuuuuuuu!" Hank heard Sanford yell.

Hank heard some shuffling. He finally got impatient and decided to talk.

"Hello?" he asked.

"WAZZAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPP PPPPP!" Deimos yelled.

Hank jumped back from the sudden noise.

"Deimos? What are you and Sanford doing? Seriously, it's been an hour and a half since you left the house!" Hank angrily told him.

"Whyz yu mad bro? We'z juzt gotz zom bitchez and we ha-" Deimos abruptly stopped.

Hank was a bit surprised. "Hello? Deimos?"

"And we havinz ze...beerz!" Deimos finished.

After Hank heard that last word, he immediately knew what was going on.

"Oh for fuck's sake...where the hell are you two?" he asked.

"Uz? We'z at...Samfurd! Don't jump overz ze table!" Deimos yelled.

"FUCK YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Hank heard in the background with some bottles crashing.

"Where are you!?" Hank shouted, wanting some answers.

"Ze club maaaaan! Club M!" Deimos answered.

Hank sighed. "Alright, you two stay put there. I'll pick you guys up. Do not leave the club!"

"Okie-Dokie ninjah man!" Deimos told Hank.

Hank hung up the phone. He pulled off his gloves, put on some brass knuckles, and put the gloves back on. Hank knew that going to a club and making that much noise would bring up trouble.

He took Sanford's keys to the car he got from the Higher Powers and drove off. Hank knew exactly where Club M was. In fact, that was the place he was assigned to kill Tricky the Clown and was forced to blow himself up, killing Jebus and restoring his honor (Madness Combat 4).

Hank pulled up in front of the club. He got out of his car and walked inside. The club had changed a lot since the time he came to complete his mission. The A.A.H.W. members used to own the club and enjoyed themselves there with Tricky as the master DJ. Now, because they were all wiped out, the citizens of Nevada could finally have it for themselves. Bad memories were stored here and Hank wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Hank started looking around the room for his two drunken roommates while some people stared and whispered at the famous killer. The place was so huge that it would take forever to find them. Eventually he went over to the bartender and asked him.

"Excuse me, have you seen two retards; one with a bandana and shades, another with a weird looking hat and a coat?" he asked.

The bartender nodded and pointed at Deimos and Sanford. Sure enough, there were about a dozen beers on their table and 4 girls around them. Deimos and Sanford were showing off their muscles to the girls and they giggled like children.

Hank walked up to them, but before he could say anything, Deimos pointed him out.

"Heyz! Thaz Hank girlz! Th..ze.. ze bah'd ninjuh tha' make mei sad. D:" Deimos told the two girls near him.

The girls shot Hank glares which he ignored. Hank put his hand on his head to restrain himself from killing the two of them. After all, they were drunk, and he can't kill them...

...yet.

Keeping his hand on his head, Hank asked, "Deimos, Sanford, what the hell are you two doing?"

"We were havin' funz man! This DJ iz pumped!" Sanford told him.

"Look, I'm taking you two home. You're attracting too much unwanted attention." Hank said.

The two grown men moaned as well as the girls next to them. "Yuz such a party poopah Hank!" Deimos groaned.

"Yeah, yeah, but I can't leave you two behind with some bitches." Hank told him.

"Hey!" one of the girls yelled.

"I'm sorry," Hank sarcastically said, "what I meant to say was, _hookers_."

Deimos stood up very slowly. "Yu dun' talk to mei girlz liek that party poopah!"

Hank continued watching Deimos with interest. Deimos finally stood up and put his fists up. "Get redeh ninjuh man! Yu'r gunna get pwned!"

Hank blinked in surprise as Sanford and the girls were cheering for him. Just as he wished _not_ to happen, people started circling around the two. Hank had never seen Deimos or Sanford drunk before, so he had no idea what he's going to experience.

'Wait, is he actually thinking about fighting me? He must really be wasted!' Hank thought.

Deimos threw a sloppy punch at Hank. Hank ducked and moved to the left. Deimos was fast, even while he was drunk, but Hank was faster. Still, Hank wasn't looking for a fight, especially with his drunk roommate.

Deimos looked surprised when Hank dodged the punch with ease. He must've thought that was the fastest thing in the world. Deimos shook it off and threw a powerful swing which Hank dodged quickly again, and the momentum of Deimos's own punch made Deimos fall on the ground face-first. Everyone, including Hank was expecting Deimos to come back up, but instead, Deimos started snoring on the ground.

"Unbelievable." Hank said as he face-palmed himself.

He looked at Sanford who was flirting with the drunken girls again. Hank picked him and Deimos up and put each of them on each side of his shoulders. Sanford started hitting Hank with both his arms like a little child not wanting to go to the doctor. Soon, Sanford was out cold too. The people around him were surprised Hank had that much strength in him, but Hank was working out. After all, this town still has bad record of crime, regardless that the A.A.H.W. is gone, and he could get jumped at any moment.

But before he could walk out, another guy came in front of him. He was very muscular, and looked like he was more built in figure than Hank. However, looks could be deceiving.

"Well, well, well. If it ain't the tough guy Hank?" he said. Hank smelled alcohol from his breath.

'Oh for God's sake...how many drunks do I have to deal with today?' Hank asked himself. Hank ignored the big, drunk fool and walked on. It was obvious he was trying to piss off Hank and was overestimating himself.

"Look! I think he's grown weight!" he continued to taunt. "You've become a _**fat**_ ninja haven't you Hank?"

It was true, Hank was gaining weight. But not in fat.

In muscle.

His friends and a couple of other people laughed, while some people shifted nervously in their seats. They knew Hank could snap his neck at any moment.

Hank still said nothing and struggled on, carrying his two unconscious friends.

"You know, you took care of those two bitches real nice."

Hank stopped. He dropped Deimos and Sanford gently on the floor.

"What did you call them?" he asked without turning around.

"You heard me. Your **bitches.**" the man said.

The people behind Hank howled with laughter louder, while the people in front of Hank stopped laughing. Even though Hank was wearing a mask and goggles, the people in front of him could still sense the extreme anger he was feeling, and clearly saw a vein pop out of his head.

Hank turned around. The man taunting him got excited.

"What are you going to do about it?" the man asked him, wanting to see the famous Hank J. Wimbleton in action after 3 years.

The music at the club stopped. The people who saw it all happen said that Hank had moved in so fast, none of them could realize where he was until he stopped. In one second, Hank was about 4 feet away from the guy making fun of his friends. The next, they found Hank with his right fist in the other man's stomach.

His mouth was opened and he was gasping for air. When Hank moved back, he fell forward, clutching his stomach and still wheezing.

Hank grabs him by the collar and whispers in his ear. "Now you listen here big boy, if I see you or any of your other friends messing with the two idiots I was carrying, I'll kill you. Do you understand?"

The man nodded quickly.

"Good." Hank confirmed, and let his collar go.

The man lay silent on the floor. Hank went over to the bartender and paid him with a 50 dollar bill. Then, he picked up Deimos and Sanford, and carried them back on their shoulders.

The music in the club blasted again, as people made a pathway for Hank to pass through.

"_Lo1!11!"_

Hank's eyes widened. 'It can't be...' he thought.

He turned around furiously fast, nearly dropping both of his roommates, but found only stares.

Hank slowly turned back around. 'I must be losing my marbles...' he believed.

As Hank walked out of the club, he could've sworn he was being watched. No, not by the customers there, but a much more menacing force.

Little did he know, he was.

* * *

Hank sighed as he was finally able to bring back the two bodies into the car. He put Sanford in first, and put on him a seat belt. He then did the same with Deimos, and sat in the driver's seat. Turning on the car, he drove back home. Unfortunately, Deimos was awake while he was driving.

"Heyy Hank!" Deimos said.

"What?" Hank said, his eyes still focused on the road.

" Why did 'chu hit mei in the club?" Deimos asked.

'At least I can understand him more clearly now.' Hank thought.

"I didn't hit you; you fell asleep while you were trying to break my jaw."

"Ohhh. Okay."

Hank drove in silence, until Deimos said something incredibly stupid.

"Yuu know, why d'our faces look liek..like the top of penisez?"

Hank twitched.

"I mean, luke at uz, we luke like penisez with a plus sign on top!" he yelled.

Hank was trying to ignore him, but was failing so badly.

"Do yu think we can, yu know, cu-"

Hank turned around. "Deimos! Will you please just SHUT THE FUCK UP FOR THE NEXT TEN MINUTES?!"

Deimos's eyes widened. "The road Hank! Road!"

Hank turned around and nearly pissed himself. He swerved to the right just before colliding with a truck honking its horn at him.

"Watch it jackass!" he heard the truck driver yell.

Hank was breathing heavily. He was glad he survived, but now he was worried that the police could've seen him. Then he heard a siren. He wasn't scared of the police; he just didn't want a ticket. Hank prayed that he was hearing things. He didn't want to look back himself.

"Deimos?" he asked.

"Yeh?" he responded.

"Is there a police car chasing us?"

Deimos turns around. "Nope."

Hank sighs with relief. He was hearing things.

"But there's a car with pretteh red and blue lights coming for you." Deimos said.

"Deimos?"

"Yeh?"

"Fuck you."

"I'm not gay!"

Hank pulls over. The officer comes out of his car.

"Hello officer." Hank greets him gloomily.

"You do know I saw what you just did right now, right?" the officer says.

"Yes sir." Hank responds.

"If I had half a mind...wait a minute...are you Hank J. Wimbleton?

"Yeah." Hank sighs. The police don't really favor him. In fact, not many people in this god-forbidden town do.

"Why the hell were you driving like that? I know you're smarter than that." the officer asks.

"I don't know. Ask Fool 1 and Fool 2 back there. "

The officer looks at a drunk Deimos and an unconscious Sanford.

"Heh heh, Hankie made a no-no!" Deimos said.

The officer looks back at Hank. "Drunken trouble?"

"Yep." Hank simply says.

"Are you drunk too?"

"Nope. But I think I could be. I smelled so much alcohol from different people's mouths in the past hour that I can't get the scent of my mask."

"Really? Where did you go?" the officer asked.

"Club M."

"But didn't you..."

"Yeah, I know, I died there before. Personally, I didn't want to go back there anymore, but these guys get wasted and mess with girls, so I didn't have much of a choice."

The officer stood in silence digesting the information. Then he spoke: "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't give you a ticket for that stunt you pulled off."

"I saved Nevada's ass before."

The officer sighed. "I suppose. But mark my words , this is your only warning. Next time you screw up, you're going straight to jail."

"I don't honestly mind spending a night there." Hank shrugged.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Good night." the officer said, and walked back to his car.

When the police car drove off, Hank turned around to face Deimos. "See what you did retard? I nearly got sent to jail because of your shit!"

"I'm sorrieee Hank! Why don'tchu love mei? D:"

"Oh my God..." Hank whispered to himself as he turned around to face the road.

The rest of the trip home was driven in silence.

Hank parked the car in the garage. The Higher Powers were smart to add a garage to their house. They had a really good car and no doubt in a town like this, someone would have some bright idea of stealing it.

He took out Sanford and Deimos. Just then, Sanford threw up on him.

"Fuck!" he yelled. "Sanford, I swear to god, I'm going to kill you **and** Deimos when your hangovers pass!"

Sanford and Deimos said nothing. They were asleep.

Hank carried Sanford and Deimos to their rooms. He threw Sanford on his bed, and Deimos on his. Then Hank went to the bathroom, threw his clothes in the sink, and took a long shower.

'I'm so damn exhausted. And it's 7:30 in the morning...' he thought while he washed himself.

Finally, he got out, and started washing his clothes in the sink. When he was done, he threw them in the laundry basket and got a fresh pair from his closet in his room.

He sighed. This had to be one of the most tiring days of his life.

And it was just starting.

* * *

A/N: Well, that ends Chapter 3. The reason why I'm uploading all three chapters at once is because I was working on them before let me publish them to "reduce spam". I am glad about how the story is turning out that's for sure. I don't honestly know Hank's, Sanford's, and Deimos's behaviors or personality well, so I made some that I think suits them. This is not a comedy fanfic although this chapter makes it look like one. It is a drama and action fanfic with lots of cliffhangers to keep you hooked. I hope you enjoy the story so far, this chapter is what I think of as a funny treat to all you Madness Combat fans out there. Like I said, this story is far from over; it's just beginning. Good night and reviews would be greatly appreciated!


	4. Hangovers and Ideas

Chapter 4: Hangovers and Ideas

* * *

When Hank awoke from his nap, he saw the clock say it was 12:00 in the afternoon. He stretched and realized he had slept for about 5 hours, but he was glad. It's been a while since he slept like that, and his body really needed the rest.

He checked on the other two. They were both sound asleep. He sighed. The only two good things he got out of the whole experience this earlier in the morning was that he was able to take off his stress by punching some random guy in the stomach and he was exhausted enough to have his first decent sleep in ages.

His stomach rumbled. He realized the only thing he had in the past 9 hours was coffee. And coffee doesn't satisfy as a whole breakfast, especially to a grown man. Hank puts some bread in a toaster and cracks some eggs on a frying pan. The smell must've flowed around the house because a couple of minutes later, he saw Sanford walk into the kitchen.

"Ugh...Hank...Jebus...what the hell happened?" Sanford asked, clutching his head.

"You and Deimos went out for some drinks at Club M and got drunk. I had to carry both your asses home later on." Hank told him, focusing on the eggs.

"Really? Well, sorry 'bout that dude." Sanford said, getting a large glass of water out of the fridge.

"You owe me more than a sorry Sanford." Hank told him; a bit irritated he didn't seem to remember anything 9 hours ago.

"What? What exactly happened Hank?" Sanford questioned.

Hank explained everything that happened in and out of the club while he gave Sanford 2 eggs and a piece of toast on a plate. Sanford started eating everything as soon as Hank piled it on his plate since everything he ate before he went to the club went all over Hank as puke.

"...and then, you basically puked on me." Hank told him.

"Wow Hank. I'm really sorry about what happened. I didn't know you had that much patience with us. You must really hate us now." Sanford told him, sulking a bit.

"Well, I was mad," Hank started, "but I don't hate you. It was my fault after all that you and Deimos went and got yourselves drunk."

"But you must've had a hell of a night." Sanford chuckled as he was finishing up his plate.

"Tell me about it. At least I got a good sleep afterwards. Anyways, I didn't hear your side of the story yet. What the hell happened before I called Deimos's cell? And why did you answer first?" Hank asked.

"Well, it went something like this..." Sanford began.

* * *

(Flashback)

_Sanford found Deimos sitting down at a bench near the house. He was clearly upset. _

_ "Hey buddy, you okay?" Sanford asked._

_ Deimos nodded slowly._

_ "Well you don't look like it." Sanford told him._

_ "No. It's just that I couldn't believe Hank would say something like that." Deimos answered._

_ "Yeah, we both know Hank, he can be a dick sometimes, but it's really not his fault. We were both lucky to find each other when we worked for the Higher Powers." Sanford explained._

_Deimos said nothing._

_ "But Hank was all alone. I think after a while, when you can't talk to anyone about your problems, your heart starts to rust and hope just doesn't become an option anymore." Sanford continued._

_ "Yeah, that is true." Deimos agreed._

_ "Tell you what, let's go to Club M. Maybe we can chill there." Sanford suggested._

_ "But won't the people over there get upset seeing our faces?" Deimos asked worried._

_ Sanford put his hand on Deimos's shoulder just like Deimos did before. "Relax, it's a club. Most of the people there are drunk or don't give a damn." Sanford comforted._

_ Deimos, unsure at first, then nodded again to his partner. "Okay Sanford. I trust you."_

_ Sanford grinned and they both walked off to the club._

_ (Later at Club M)_

_ "Hey let's go get some drinks Deimos!" Sanford proposed._

_ "I don't know Sanford, what if we get drunk? Hank would have to bring us back home." Deimos said nervously._

_ Sanford rolled his eyes. "Relax bro! Let's just enjoy ourselves!"_

_ Deimos smirked. "Alright then."_

_ Sanford and Deimos got their drinks. "Hey check it Sanford. Look at those hot chicks over there."_

_ "Where? Oh you mean the 4 of them over there?"_

_ "Yeah man! Let's try and hit on 'em" _

_ "If you want Deimos, then sure." _

_ They walked over to the girls and started flirting with them._

_ (Much Later)_

_ "Chug! Chug! Chug!" The crowd of people around them cheered._

_ Deimos and Sanford went for their 5__th__ beer. They were having a competition to see who could drink more._

_ "You...*hic* aren't gonna win this San..." Deimos said._

_ "Heh, you don't...know me yet Deimos..." Sanford responded. _

_ Then, Sanford quickly drank two bottles before Deimos finished his 6__th__.The people around them "Ohhhhh"'d in amazement. Deimos, shocked that Sanford was still conscious, tried to go for his 7__th__, but failed as his numbed head hit the table._

_ Sanford cheered as well as the people on his side. Bets were made on who would survive, and after the money was passed among people, the crowd subsided and Sanford and Deimos were all alone with the girls they made a move on earlier. _

_ Just then, Deimos's phone rang._

_ "Dude...you're fone...is ringing." Sanford told Deimos while struggling to stay awake._

_ Deimos waved his hand to Sanford to answer for him. _

_ Sanford answered the phone. "Herro?" he answered._

* * *

"...and, well, you know the rest." Sanford finished.

"Oh for God's sake, I thought you two were smarter than that!" Hank told him.

"Sorry!" Sanford blushed while he washed both of their finished plates.

Hank let out a deeper sigh. "At least it's over now."

Sanford nodded. But then, he cringed from the strong headache he felt. His hangover was starting to take effect. He went to the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. Unfortunately, he couldn't find any aspirin pills to treat his sore head with.

"Hank?" Sanford asked.

"Yeah?" Hank answered.

"Can you do one more favor for me?"

"What?"

"You know we're out of aspirin pills right?"

Hank groaned. "Let me guess. You want me to go get some."

"Bingo."

Hank shook his head. "*Sigh* Fine. But just make breakfast for Deimos if he wakes up."

"Thanks buddy." Sanford told him.

Hank got his keys and walked off to the pharmacist. As he was walking, he noticed more and more people were pointing at him, and then the newspaper.

'What the hell are they looking at?' Hank wondered.

Hank bought a copy of the local newspaper and nearly cursed out loud. The front page showed him punching that same man in the morning. News spreads like wildfire in Nevada, so whoever wrote the newspaper must've changed the front page story before handing it off to be published.

'Ah fuck.' he thought.

Hank quickly went to the pharmacist, bought a pack of aspirin, and went home.

When Hank opened the front door and walked to the kitchen, he found a tired-looking Deimos eating at the table.

"Deimos-" Hank was about to begin.

"Hank, you don't need to tell me. I heard everything from Sanford. I'm so sorry for what I did this morning. I didn't mean any of my actions." Deimos interrupted.

"Well that's great and all, but we have a slightly bigger problem." Hank explained.

Deimos had a confused look on his face until Hank showed him the newspaper.

"Oh shit." he said when he saw it.

"What's the matter?" Sanford asked as he walked in the kitchen.

Hank threw the aspirin pack to Sanford which he caught. "Read the front page." Hank said.

Sanford pulled out a pill and put it in water. He saw the front page with Deimos and his eyes widened.

"I told you that you would attract some unwanted attention." Hank told them.

"God damn it, I know we're celebrities here and all, but even the media's on what we're doing again?" Deimos asked.

"Apparently." Sanford confirmed.

Deimos read on as Sanford drank his aspirin water.

"Ahh...much better." Sanford said in relief.

Sanford handed another glass of aspirin water to Deimos, who drank it all quickly in one gulp. But instead of sighing with relief, he was focused on what the newspaper said.

Then, Deimos found something interesting. "Hm?"

"What did you find Deimos?" Sanford asked.

"Something that you and Hank would be interested to hear." Deimos said.

"Well read it aloud to us then." Hank told him.

Deimos started. _" 'The famous Hank J. Wimbleton was spotted this morning at the local club: Club M. He was apparently found collecting his two roommates and former comrades in combat: Sanford and Deimos.'"_

Sanford blushed in embarrassment.

" '_As he was leaving in peace, a man by the name of Brent Eastwood, had come up and harassed him. Hank however, did not show any opposition as Brent had continually teased his appearance until Brent had called his two roommates the vulgar word for female dogs.'"_

Sanford was shocked. Hank told him that he did hit some guy in the stomach, but not after he had called Sanford and Deimos bitches. He was totally fine with the taunting until he had made fun of him and Deimos.

'Maybe he does care about us more than we thought.' Sanford realized.

_"'Eye witness reports say that Hank had punched Brent in the stomach with strong force and Brent fell to the ground in pain. Here are some things people who come to the club regularly have to say: _

_**'I didn't honestly like the guy since in my mind; he was a trouble-maker. But I'm glad he gave Brent a taste of his own medicine. That guy always comes in here drunk and messes around with everybody. Now that Brent will probably shut his mouth, I have to say I'm grateful that I can finally relax in my favorite place without worrying about some jerk making fun of me.' ~Aaron Chang**_

_** 'You know, I think that it was Brent's fault for taking in more than he can chew. I mean, come on! We're talking about THE Hank J. Wimbleton who took down more people than we can count!'**_

_**~Sara Reeves**_

_** 'Hank? Oh yeah, I don't blame him for what he did. That guy Brent...he had it coming to him. I would be pissed too if someone made fun of my friends like that. You mess with the bull you get the horns.'**_

_**~David Travis**_

_ 'Although he had caused a ruckus in the club, most witnesses who've seen the whole event unfold support Hank's side. Many are thankful for what he did while others still don't seem to buy the act and see it as nothing but a violent action.'"_

"That's it?" Sanford asked as Deimos stopped.

"Yeah. It's pretty short since it must've been a last-minute article." Deimos said.

Hank said nothing. When Deimos had finished, he went back to the living room and sat on the couch watching TV.

"Hank, do you know what this means?" Deimos told him.

"Yeah. I'm a violent son of a bitch that won't change in Nevada." Hank said with some disgust in his tone.

"No, not that. You helped this community out! It might not be much, but you did help these people out. And most of them support you!" Deimos said.

"So, what? It was an accident." Hank said uninterested.

"Still, you did it. I mean, it might not be through peaceful means, but you did still help these people out!" Deimos exclaimed.

"Fantastic, now what?" Hank asked still uninterested.

"Well...I was thinking about what you said before...that we can't change in this society. But I think we can! Really! We can help these people out!" Deimos suggested excitedly.

"Oh and how do you expect to do that Deimos?" Hank questioned, now listening more carefully.

"You know Nevada has a high crime rate, right?" Deimos told him.

"Right."

"Well, why don't we take down some of the gangs threatening the city?" Deimos suggested.

Hank looked at him. "Are you fucking serious Deimos? I told you not to think these thoughts! How the hell are we supposed to find gangs hidden from broad daylight? It's not like they're going to invite us in their hideouts!"

"Leave that to me Hank." Deimos said, with a thumbs up.

Hank sighed. But before he was going to counter his idea, something popped back out in his head.

_"He sees you as his idol, like the father he never had._"

'Damn it Sanford.' he thought.

Hank turned and asked, "Sanford, what do you think?"

"I think it sounds pretty cool if we can pull it off. I can get the chance to fire a gun again and fight. Something I missed for a while. Besides, it's better than doing nothing all day. Just because the Higher Powers are paying us weekly after retiring doesn't mean we should waste our lives sitting on our asses." Sanford said.

Hank turned back to watch the TV. He stared a while as his two partners waited anxiously for a response from him. It was true for him too. Hank wanted to fight again; the blood of a great fighter was flowing in his veins waiting for the chance. Still...he didn't need to do this. After all, he doesn't owe anyone anything in Nevada. In fact, Sanford and Deimos owe him for bailing them out after they got drunk.

Finally he spoke.

"Deimos."

"Yeah?" Deimos asked.

"Let's do this shit."

* * *

A/N: Chapter 4, done! With about 2,260 words typed! Fuck yeah! I'm on a roll baby! A Kaiser roll! LOL, JK. I thank those of you who are following this story every step of the way. Now the plot's getting tighter than ever, which means the madness will begin soon! I'm just trying to work out a reasonable and realistic way for Deimos's plan to come to life. I have a vague idea, but I can't stop the story here! No way, not at the best part! R&R Please! Every review inspires me to write more in less time! See you in Chapter 5!


	5. Deals and Guns

Chapter 5: Deals and Guns

* * *

"Okay, so basically, we have to go here first." Deimos said as he pointed on a map of Nevada.

"Langstone Bar? Isn't that part of 'Dead Nevada'?" Sanford asked.

"Exactly. But there's no way we can get info on the guys we're looking for unless we go there. I know a guy that can help us out, but for a price." Deimos explained.

"Dead Nevada" was the part of Nevada that no one sane dared to enter. Crime was bad enough in the city, but there, crime is so bad, the police can't find the people they're looking for without getting into trouble. Big trouble. So basically, civilization can't grow there, making it a "dead" part of Nevada. However, the source of the crime ultimately in Nevada originates from there, serving as the core.

"How much are we talking about?" Hank asked.

"I'd say about 10k." Deimos said,

Hank and Sanford looked at Deimos shocked. "10k? What the hell Deimos? Why so much?" Sanford questioned.

"Because," Deimos started, "people won't talk if we don't give them some bills. We also need to give him an extra 5k if he tells the truth every time we get something from him just to make sure he won't backstab us."

Hank sighed. "Deimos, don't you think you're overdoing it?"

"Look Hank, I don't know why you're so worried with money. I mean, we already have a shit load in the bank, and we get paid 20k every week by the Higher Powers. This will eventually pay off when the time comes."

Hank slumped into his chair. "God, you better be right or else I will be all over your ass."

Deimos nodded. "Okay. But we need to cover some rules."

Sanford looked at him with a questioning look. "Which are?"

"First off," Deimos said, "We can't kill anybody."

Hank and Sanford were about to protest, but Deimos continued, "If we do, we're not going to make a better image of ourselves to the people. In other words, this will be all for nothing."

Hank asked a question that was in Sanford's mind as well. "So how the hell are we gonna stop them?"

"We can attack them though. Shooting guys in the legs or arms or knocking people unconscious; as long as we don't kill them and subdue them long enough, we'll be fine." Deimos explained.

"Subdue for how long?" Sanford asked.

"Subdue long enough for the cops to come after one of us calls them while the other two makes sure no one gets any smart ideas." Deimos said.

Hank was shaking his head. "This is way too difficult Deimos. Killing people is what we do best. Not showing mercy. What you're saying makes everything 5 times worse."

Deimos turned to Hank. "It's the only way Hank. Unless you wanna go for some low level community service jobs like cleaning up the park."

Hank bit his lip. Cleaning the park? Hell no, he's not some cleaning tool. Unless cleaning meant getting rid of people. For good.

Deimos looked at Hank, then Sanford. He knew the both of them weren't all into the idea, but there was no other alternative. "Then it's settled. Let's go to Dead Nevada."

Deimos stood up, rolled up the map, and put it in his pocket. The other two stood up slowly, a bit nervous about the risky plan. Then, Deimos packs some cash into a briefcase and carries it with him.

"Oh and by the way," Deimos tells them, "both of you should take a glock and wear some brass knuckles. We're gonna need it where we're going."

Hank and Sanford looked at each other.

* * *

For one thing, the name "Dead Nevada" was well chosen. As Hank, Sanford, and Deimos walked in the grimy neighborhood, they saw almost every building around them was on the verge of collapsing, the streets were dirty and littered with garbage, and there were people everywhere who looked either homeless or ready to rob the person right next to them.

Hank and Sanford listened to Deimos about the glock and brass knuckles. They kept their guns in their pockets and felt a bit safer and secure with a firearm. Deimos told them that driving a car here is practically the same thing as getting a thief you just met to guard your car with the keys inside. It's not just a bad mistake; it's plain stupid. So, they walked about 10 miles to the dark neighborhood. They didn't mind though; the Higher Powers had trained them to have qualities normal human beings wouldn't have. That included ridiculous amounts of endurance.

Finally, after half an hour of walking, they found themselves in front of the bar. "Langstone Bar" it read on a sign barely hanging in front of the building.

Deimos whispered to the others; "Keep your hands in your pockets. Some crazy shit could go down at any moment."

Hank and Sanford nodded. They all entered the bar at the same time. The walls were covered with dust and dirt which made the sickly red color it was originally painted in look worse.

As soon as they walked in, they attracted a lot of attention. People started whispering about the three.

"What the hell? Is that really them? Hank, Sanford and Deimos?"

"Looks like it."

"Oh shit. Those guys won't come here just to make friends."

"Yeah, I heard Hank actually ripped out someone's heart before."

(It did happen. Madness Combat 7.)

"Seriously? Oh my fucking God, let's get the hell out of here!"

Some people quickly exited the bar behind the three. Hank couldn't help but grin a bit under his mask. His reputation made him feel proud and strong in some cases.

There were only a few people left inside who were either drunk, busy with their gambling games, or didn't give a damn. Eventually, Deimos finds the man he's looking for behind a pool table and walks up in front of him.

Deimos starts talking to him alone and inaudible to Hank and Sanford. Eventually, he signals them to come over.

"Ah, Deimos, I see you've brought your friends along with them. You don't need to introduce them to me. I know them all too well." the man said.

"Guys, this is Augustus. Augustus Reeds." Deimos tells them. "I just met him recently around the town, and he told me he knew some things that could be of value around this place."

"Pleasure to meet the both of you." he says, and puts out a hand to shake. Hank shakes it first, and then Sanford.

"Now then," Augustus continues, "please show me what you're willing to offer for my information."

Deimos opens up the briefcase and shows Augustus. Augustus nods.

"Very good deal. I see you must really need my help then. Meet me outside the alleyway."

The three of them nod. Augustus leads them to the back door of the bar.

As they exited the bar, Augustus closes the door behind them. He checks every possible angle to make sure no one was spying on them. Confirming that they were all alone, Augustus turns around to meet their faces.

"How much was in there?" he asks.

"10k" Sanford tells him.

"In addition," Deimos continues for Sanford, "We are willing to give you an extra 5k afterwards if you give us valid information."

Augustus grins. "A deal too good to resist. Okay then. What do you want to know?"

"Gangs. Give us some gangs we could hit and where they're located at." Deimos answers.

Augustus nods. "Do you have a map?"

Deimos pulls out the map he stored in his pocket and Augustus points at a location on it.

"The old abandoned warehouse, not very far from this bar. The Nevada Devils move themselves here every first Tuesday of the month for a meeting session. They always split up in groups of 5, so this is your only chance to get all of them in one place."

"Today's the first Tuesday of the month." Hank said.

Augustus nodded. "You're going to have to wait a whole month again just to take them down. You're lucky you decided to speak with me now otherwise this opportunity would have been long gone. There's about 15 of them in there so you better be careful."

Sanford shifted nervously. "What time?"

Augustus looks at Sanford. "Midnight, of course. The gang knows that a good definite time when the streets are mostly empty is midnight. In other words," Augustus looks at his watch, "you guys have 5 hours to prepare. It's 7:00."

Deimos nodded. "Thanks." he said.

Augustus puts up his hand. "No need. Just making business."

Deimos understood that Augustus meant he wanted the cash. He gives the briefcase to him as he goes back into the bar. Sanford followed suite, but Hank stood in front of Augustus staring straight at his face. Augustus stared back and neither blinked.

"Hank? What's the matter? Let's go!" Sanford yelled at Hank.

"Coming." Hank told Sanford, keeping an eye on Augustus.

Hank slowly turned and walked away, leaving Augustus still staring at him as he went into the bar.

* * *

Hank checked his gear. It's been a while since he ever equipped himself for combat. Sanford was doing the same in his room. After Hank was done, he saw Sanford waiting for him outside his door with his trusty hook. It was 11:00, but Deimos was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Deimos?" Hank asked.

"Deimos? He said that he was buying some extra stuff for our raid." Sanford told him.

Hank looked at him with a questioning look. "Why didn't either of you tell me?"

"What? I thought you knew. He explained it to both of us while we were walking back." Sanford explained.

Hank suddenly understood. He was still thinking about the bar which is why he wasn't listening. That same odd feeling of adrenaline was pumping through him while he was there. His eyes had searched every person in the room, but he couldn't find the source.

"Sanford?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"Didn't you feel...a bit weird while you were at the bar?"

Sanford stopped to think. "Hank, it's a bar, I know what you're feeling. We were in the worst part of Nevada in a bar full of people who could've attacked us at any moment. I'm pretty sure that's normal."

"I don't know Sanford, I felt this before somewhere. Somewhere outside the bar." Hank told him.

"I think you're just overreacting Hank."

But Hank knew when he was overreacting and when he wasn't. This was one of those times where he knew he definitely wasn't.

Before he could finish thinking, Deimos opened the front door and was carrying a white plastic bag.

"What's in the bag?" Sanford asked curiously.

Deimos pulled out 5 large padlocks. "These babies will help us trap the sorry suckers we're looking for." he said. "Also," Deimos pulled out a couple smoke and flash grenades. "these I got from the Agency. They're practically selling this stuff since they don't need it anymore."

Hank nodded. "So, shall we get going? It is 11 after all."

* * *

Hank, Deimos, and Sanford walked to where Augustus specifically told them the "Nevada Devils" were. They were dressed in all black, so it would be hard for people to tell who they really were and see them. When they eventually made it, they were faced by two guards in front.

"What the fuck do you three think you're doing?" One of the guards asked.

Hank looked at Sanford and they both nodded to each other. Hank slammed the guard's head in front of him into the concrete wall behind him while Sanford laid two strong punches to his guard's face. Instant KO's.

"Alright," Deimos said, "let's put their bodies in that dumpster right behind us."

Hank and Sanford disarmed the two unconscious guards, carried their bodies, and placed them where Deimos told them to. Deimos set the password for the 4-digit lock, set it, and placed it between the dumpster's lock-holder after he had closed the top.

"I didn't know dumpsters in Nevada had lock-holders." Sanford said.

"It's a new thing. Every dumpster they make comes with it just to make sure poor people don't go through eating the trash. You know, sanitation stuff."

Sanford shook his head. "We live in a society too cheap to give the poor some trash."

Deimos nodded. "God bless Nevada."

"What's the number on the lock?" Hank asked him, changing the subject.

"It's Leet in Leet." Deimos answered. (Leet in Leet is 1337)

Deimos set the lock back to 0-0-0-0 in case if anybody tries to break the two guards loose. Sanford chuckled. "I'd hate to smell what they're smelling right now."

Hank grinned. "A very suitable place to put rotten garbage in."

Deimos turned to the both of them. "Okay, now it's time we go in for the raid."

Hank and Sanford nodded, pulling out their pistols.

* * *

They walked in and hid behind a large crate. Deimos peeked at the three guards they were hiding from. He turned back to face Sanford.

"Well? What did you see?" Sanford asked.

"3 guards; one with a pistol, another with a nightstick, and the third with a rifle." Deimos answered.

"Shit, we should've brought some melee weapons too. It would've made this much easier. Are you sure we can't kill anyone Deimos?" Hank asked.

"Without a doubt, no soul should leave this earth by our hands." Deimos told him.

Hank grunted. "Well, how the fuck are we supposed to get those three?"

"We need to lure one of them here with a sound." Sanford suggested.

"Woof woof!" Deimos said loudly.

Hank looked at Deimos. "That was the most retarded dog I've ever heard. Only an idiot would fall for that shit."

"Hey did you hear that?" one of the guards said.

"Yeah, I think it was a dog." the other said.

Hank face-palmed himself while Deimos beamed. They were dealing with people even dumber than A.A.H.W. agents.

"That didn't really sound like a dog though." the third guard argued.

The second one shrugged. "Must be retarded."

Hank and Sanford started snickering while Deimos blushed with embarrassment.

"Well, you go check it out." The third said.

"What? Wait, why me?" The second complained.

"Because you're the new guy, so get to it!" The third ordered.

The second guard groaned as he started to walk over.

Hank and Sanford stopped their snickers and braced themselves. Deimos quickly looked back at the guard coming at them.

"This one has the nightstick." he confirmed.

Sanford nodded. Hank spoke: "Then leave this one to me."

As the guard came closer and closer, finally right in front of Hank, Hank grabbed his right leg and when he fell, he hit him on a pressure point on the neck, knocking him out cold. Hank then dragged the body behind the crate with Sanford and Deimos, where Deimos searched the body for anything they could use.

Deimos found some pistol ammo in the guard, but no pistol. 'Idiot.' Deimos thought. The only other thing of use was the nightstick they stole from him. Deimos decided to give that to Hank since he was a master of using melee.

Hank took the nightstick and nodded. Meanwhile, the two other guards stood there, stunned at what just happened. They did see the rookie suddenly fall on the floor and get dragged behind the crate. What they didn't see though, was who did it.

"What the fuck just happened?" the third asked the first.

"I don't know. Unless we're dealing with a ninja dog, I think somebody's here." the first answered.

"Well then, you go on ahead. I'll cover you." the third said.

The first nodded and carried his pistol in both hands while the third held his rifle up, aiming for the crate in case if anything moved.

Deimos and the other two heard the guards' plan. Deimos turned to Hank and Sanford and whispered their own plan. When the two understood, Deimos took a defensive position.

Sanford suddenly came up on top of the crate and threw his hook into the third guard aiming his rifle at the crate. The guard yelled in pain as the hook was firmly lodged in his hip. Sanford then pulled on the hook hard to create enough momentum to fly right at the guard and kick his head with both feet. The first guard, obviously bewildered, turned around to see a flying Sanford kicking his partner's head.

"What the he-" he never finished his sentence as Hank came in, swinging his nightstick with great force into the first guard's head. The three guards were out. Afterwards, they checked the guards to make sure they were completely unarmed. Hank took the rifle and Deimos took the pistol. He knew he could sell the pistol for a good price since it was in great condition.

"Now what?" Sanford asked.

Hank looked around and saw a storage closet nearby. "We can put them in there."

Sanford and Deimos looked at where Hank was referring to and nodded. Each of the three carried a guard and threw them into the storage closet. Deimos closed the door, and put a crowbar between the two door handles to disable them from escaping.

Sanford sighed. "Jebus, that was tiring. How many of them are there again?"

Deimos looked at Sanford. "Augustus said about 15."

Sanford groaned. Hank however, checked the rifle for ammo and turned to see Sanford. "Well, we aren't going to get the job done by groaning and moaning." he said.

Sanford stared at Hank for a minute, puzzled since Hank was the one least into the idea at the beginning. He nodded.

As Deimos was checking his supplies, Sanford whispered to Hank. "You seem to go into the idea now Hank."

"Yeah, I suppose. It is better that sitting on my ass with nothing to do." Hank explained.

"I think it's more than that Hank." Sanford said.

"What?" Hank asked, clearly confused.

"I think you're starting to care about us now, which is why you're enjoying yourself with us." Sanford answered.

Hank looked down. "Maybe."

Sanford stared at Hank for a few more seconds for any more reactions. Then, he turned to Deimos.

Hank stood there thinking. Could it be that Hank did this only because his two other roommates were in it? He sighed. Now was not the time for sorting emotions out.

They had to keep going.

* * *

A/N: Oh my fucking god. That was a huge chapter. It was literally about 3,000 words! I hope none of you got bored reading it. This is where a lot of the action will begin, and it's going to be hard for me to describe it action-by-action. Nevertheless, I'm more concerned with making this story sound like it actually could happen. I'm not leaving it as incomplete though. This is probably the only Madness Combat fanfic out there that will have as many chapters as I will write. Still not changing the plot. Everything that happens, happens for a specific reason. Anyways, R&Rs are appreciated. Good night, and see you in chapter 6.


	6. Finishing the Job

Chapter 6: Finishing the Job

* * *

Sanford went over to Deimos while Hank was thinking his thoughts over. "What do we have Deimos?" he asked.

Deimos looked at Sanford. "Starting now, we have a rifle, a nightstick, 3 pairs of brass knuckles, 4 pistols, 3 smoke and flash grenades, and 4 padlocks."

Sanford nodded. "That's good. We can make this if we use our stuff wisely."

Deimos nodded back. Then he looked behind Sanford's shoulder to see Hank. "Is everything okay with Hank? He looks troubled."

Sanford turns around to see Hank staring at the ground. "He's fine. You know Hank. With an IQ of 200, I bet a lot of crap runs around in his head."

Deimos shrugs it off and stands up. He looks around. "Damn, this place is huge. I didn't expect a factory to have so many rooms."

"We better get moving then." Sanford said, taking Hank's advice. "Hank, you coming?"

Hank breaks out of his trance. "Obviously." he says, and walks up to the two of them.

"Okay then, let's go in there." Deimos said, pointing to a door near them.

Sanford was the first to walk in. Two guards were inside. Unfortunately, there was no cover to hide in.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing here?" one of them said.

Before the guards reacted fast enough, Sanford threw his blood stained hook again, this time getting it caught in one of the guards' stomachs. He yelled in agony, and his partner looked at the hook stuck inside. Sanford pulled the hook back, dragging the guard with it, and punched him twice in the face with his free hand. Meanwhile, as the other guard was still in shock, Hank threw his nightstick at him. Now he was stunned, and Deimos used his right fist to finish him off. The two bodies lay unconscious on the floor.

Deimos disarmed them and told Hank and Sanford to bring the large crate from the previous room. Hank and Sanford looked at each other and nodded. A few minutes later, Hank and Sanford came in the room with the crate. Deimos puts both unarmed men into the crate, closes the top, and sets a lock.

Deimos looked at the both of them. "We're doing great guys, we're making progress."

Hank chuckled. "Let's just hope it means something in the end."

* * *

Hank, Sanford, and Deimos walked off and saw stairs. While they were walking, one gang member came from behind a crate a pulled out a gun. The trio having lightning fast reflexes was able to react fast enough. Deimos did a back flip to dodge the bullet aimed at him while Sanford pulled out his pistol and shot the member's leg.

"Fuck! You son of a bitch!" he yelled as he went down on one knee. Sanford ran in and knocked him out with the hilt of his gun.

"Shit, someone must've definitely heard that!" Sanford yelled. Deimos nodded and disarmed the man. Hank began walking off.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Hank. Aren't we going to hide this guy?" Deimos asked.

"Sanford just shot his leg. I doubt he'll be going anywhere for a while." he answered.

Deimos thought about it and realized Hank was right. "But what if someone finds him here lying on the ground and he tells them what happened?"

Hank turned around to him. "Deimos, don't you realize that we've already been spotted in this place? We have to finish this now otherwise the gang leader will make an escape."

Deimos nodded. "Okay."

The three ran up the stairs only to be met with another gangster with a metal bat.

"Hank!" Deimos yelled as he ducked.

Hank pulled out his nightstick and blocked the bat aiming straight for Deimos's skull. Hank wasn't shaken by the force and power of the bat, but the gangster sure was. He started vibrating while he was holding the bat like a scene you would see from a cartoon. Hank smacked his head with the back of the nightstick, and the gangster fell like a rock.

Hank smirked. "Fuck yeah! It's been a while since I fought like that!"

Deimos took the gangster's bat and put it on his back. They didn't have any more time to hide the bodies. They had to run.

As they climbed up the stairs, they saw the other side had to be crossed through a bridge. If they fell off the bridge, they would be falling from a 20 foot drop.

Two gang members came out from the other side. Deimos shot one in the shoulder and he collapsed on the bridge from pain. The other kept shooting his rifle in which Deimos and Sanford ducked from. Hank however, took a risk by front flipping right to the front of the gangster's face.

"You...you're Hank J. Wimbleton...!" The gangster said in fear.

"The one and only. Don't wear it off." Hank said before knocking the side of the guard's head.

Hank sighed. This would've been over already if he could kill everyone in the goddamn place.

'Deimos and his risky ideas...If we weren't this skilled, we would've been shot by now.' he thought.

Deimos and Sanford came up behind Hank. They walked across the bridge and found a door. It was locked.

"This has to be it." Deimos said. "The leader should be in here."

"Okay, but how the hell are we supposed to get in?" Sanford asked.

Hank looked around. Then he saw something that caught his eye. "You know, on my second mission, I learned an interesting tactic."

Deimos and Sanford looked at him.

"See that ventilation shaft above our heads? We can climb through there and come down to the other room." Hank explained.

Deimos looked at him confused. "Hank that's way too high, we can't reach that!"

Hank closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He jumped, flipped up in the air, flipped again, and flipped once more. He then grabbed on to the edge of the ventilation shaft cover and jerked it off. He came down falling with it.

Sanford and Deimos's eyes widened. "What the hell Hank? That was a quadruple jump!" Sanford said.

Hank chuckled. "Who said an old dog can't learn new tricks?"

Sanford and Deimos looked at each other. Hank quadruple jumped back up and told Sanford to throw his hook up. Sanford did, and Hank caught it. Sanford reeled himself up and threw down the hook for Deimos. Deimos grabbed on to the hook and took the ventilation shaft cover with him. He closed up the opening behind them.

Hank put a finger on his lips to signal the other two to be quiet and looked down. He saw a muscular man sitting in front of a table and two guards behind his desk with rifles aiming at the door. One of them signaled the other to look outside. He unlocked the door and kicked it open. Fortunately, Deimos had closed off the opening of the ventilation shaft, making it impossible for the guard to figure out where they went.

"They're gone!" he yelled in disbelief.

The leader stood up shocked as well. "Gone? What the fuck do you mean they're gone? You heard the shots! They're here!"

Sanford turned to Hank and whispered, "Hank, we can't stay here forever, they'll eventually hear us or they'll figure it out."

Hank thought for a while and then got something. "Deimos, give me a flash grenade."

Deimos passed up a grenade to Sanford, and Sanford gave it to Hank. Hank quietly took off the top, and threw it down.

The guards stared at the grenade for a second until their eyes widened when they realized what it was. The gang leader was smarter than them though, and covered his eyes.

The grenade went off with a bang, and Hank quickly swooped down to take out the two blinded guards. They shot wildly, but they couldn't see clearly. Hank grabbed both their heads, and collided them with each other. Because of his strength, they slumped and went quiet.

Sanford and Deimos came down behind him. Sanford looked at the desk behind him and saw the gang leader cower down as their eyes met. He knew how strong they were and if he made one wrong move, they would shoot.

The gang leader started pleading. "Please, don't kill me! I'll give you what you want! Money? Drugs? Women? I'll give it all to you!"

Deimos chuckled. "Don't worry you bastard. We're not here to kill you."

The leader started sweating a bit. "Then what are you here for?" he asked with fear in his voice.

Deimos looked around and found a rope at the side of the room. "Don't move or we'll shoot you." he ordered. The leader nodded. Deimos tied the leader up to the chair. However, Deimos had a better idea.

"Hank, Sanford, one of you give me your bandanas."

Hank and Sanford looked at each other. They did a round of rock-paper-scissors. Sanford beat Hank with scissors. Hank silently cursed to himself as he untied his bandana and gave it to Deimos. Sanford was smiling because this was the second time in a row he beat Hank. (Madness Combat 10).

Deimos tied the bandana around the gang leader's mouth firmly to shut him up. Deimos grinned. He turned to Sanford and Hank.

"Alright, now you guys start shooting the wall." Deimos told them.

"Why?" Sanford asked.

"Just trust me on this." Deimos reassured.

Hank and Sanford shrugged and started shooting the wall. When Deimos gave them the "kill-it" sign, they stopped. Deimos was planning to attract some attention by doing so.

"Hank, hurry up and go up the shaft. Now!" Deimos continued.

Hank quickly jumped up into the shaft.

"Sanford throw your hook! We have to get into that shaft before anyone comes in!"

Sanford threw his hook and Hank caught it. Sanford sent it down again for Deimos and Deimos closed the opening behind them.

Moments later, the remaining 5 gang members came bursting in the door. They saw their leader tied up and they all struggled to free him. While they were doing that, Hank, Sanford, and Deimos all crawled through the shaft to the other side. When they went down to the entrance of the office, they shut the door right when the gang freed their leader and he yelled: "It's a trap!"

The members turned, shocked to find their entrance out closed. They tried pulling and pushing the door open but to no avail.

Deimos had locked the door, trapping them inside.

Sanford and Hank gave Deimos a high-five.

"Not bad Deimos. I'm impressed." Hank told him.

"Thanks." Deimos told him, proud of his brilliant plan.

Hank began dialing the police as Sanford kept an eye on the door that was shaking from the gang members struggling to escape, and Deimos checked on the other members they haven't locked up. Hank began telling them coordinates and that they had captured a whole gang. Hank hung up and gave Deimos his cell back.

"How did it go?" Deimos asked him with Sanford listening.

"Well, the chief was apparently surprised since they heard my voice, and they were even more surprised when I told them we took down one of the most notorious gangs in Nevada in-" Hank checked the time on Deimos's cell phone, "an hour and a half."

The three of them laughed. They were obviously proud that they were able to do so much in so little time.

"You know Deimos, I'm actually glad you got me to do this. I mean, yeah, it's a real pain in the ass, but hell that was pretty fun. Plus it makes a really good challenge." Hank told him.

"Yeah man, we should've thought of this earlier!" Sanford agreed.

Deimos grinned. "I'm glad you two enjoyed it. But we're not done yet. Taking down one gang doesn't make up for about 1,000 deaths."

The others nodded in agreement. Just then, sirens were heard. Sanford looked out the window.

"It's the cops. There's about 8 of them down there." he said.

Hank went down to meet with them. He was greeted by the chief of police.

Hank read his badge. His name was apparently Ben Harley. Chief Harley.

"I hope you weren't kidding about capturing the entire gang. This will be a huge bust." Harley said.

Hank nodded. "Well, for starters, you can book the two idiots we met up with in the entrance."

Hank led the Chief to the dumpster where he entered the numbered code. Sure enough, two men came out, gasping for fresh air. They were met with two guns to their faces. One from Hank, another from the Chief. Harley called for an officer to send both of them into a squad car.

Hank then led Harley to the closet where they repeated the process, and did the same when they reached the crate. Finally, they reached Sanford and Deimos. Deimos was pinning down the gangster who was shot in the leg as well as aiming his gun at the other they met at the stairs. Sanford made sure the other two at the bridge didn't escape. They sent them to the cars too.

Then, Hank brought the Chief to where they trapped the leader.

"I suggest you call up some more men Chief, because there's about 8 of them in there, including the leader." Hank advised.

The Chief nodded and called for 3 more officers to assist him. When everything was set, they open the lock and burst in. After taking care of the last group, the Chief turned to Hank.

"Are you saying that you were able to take out 15 people, not to mention gangsters, without a casualty?" he asked with disbelief.

Hank nodded. "Don't thank only me. Thank Sanford and Deimos over there. They helped me own their asses too you know."

The Chief looked behind Hank's shoulder to see Sanford with his arms crossed and Deimos with a lit cigarette in his mouth.

He looked back to Hank. "I need to speak to the three of you then at the station."

Hank showed a look of puzzlement, but shrugged. "Sure."

Hank went over to Deimos and Sanford and explained what happened. They nodded.

He turned back to Chief Harley. "Okay, we're all set."

The Chief nodded and gave them a ride back through a squad car.

* * *

(Later at the station)

The Chief was talking over the walkie-talkie, making sure the suspects were secured. When he finished, he turned to Hank, Sanford, and Deimos who were all sitting at a table. Hank was watching the Chief's every move while Sanford and Deimos leaned their heads on their elbows.

The Chief sat down across from them. "How the hell did you manage to take down a whole gang without killing anybody?" he asked.

Hank spoke. "If you're asking us this, then you've underestimated us too much Chief."

The Chief shook his head. "I just can't believe you did it. We've been chasing down these same assholes for the past 2 years, and you did what we couldn't do all that time in an hour."

"An hour and a half." Deimos corrected.

The Chief continued. "Still, that's incredible. But, there has to be a reason why you're doing this. There's no way you did this just 'cause you felt like it. So why?"

Hank answered, "Isn't it obvious Chief? We did this so we can clear our names from our 'murderer' statuses."

The Chief looked at each of the three and then slumped back into his chair. He sighed. "That's all you wanted? Just for people to hear about what you did? Of course what you three did will be in the paper!"

Hank shook his head. "No Chief. We're taking down a string of gangs. Not just this one. We have to redeem ourselves so we can live in Nevada without being segregated from the community."

The Chief shook his head. "Oh no you're not. This is a job for us. Not you three."

Hank moved closer to the Chief's face and started to whisper, "Now look here Chief, you know that with our help you can eliminate crime in one of the worst places in the U.S. You're going to become famous beyond your wildest dreams. Don't care? Fine. But think of it this way: you've just protected a whole city. And all you have to do is let us do the job for you. Then, you can do whatever you want with the criminals we take down. We're not asking for much. We just want to show these people that we aren't the men they think we are. Otherwise, good luck spending years just to capture these guys."

The Chief rubbed his face with his hands. It was a good deal, and it was obviously a win-win situation. The problem was, it was just unheard of. Leaving the jobs of a whole police force in the hands of three men? Not to mention ex-killers?

Finally, the Chief made his choice. "If you can raid gangs the way you did tonight, then...I suppose I can allow you three to help us."

Hank smirked, Sanford nodded with a grin, and Deimos did a fist pump in the air.

"But." The Chief started again.

The three stopped celebrating.

"But there's no way you can run in there with that equipment. We're going to have to gear you three up." he finished.

Hank, Sanford, and Deimos looked at each other.

* * *

A/N: Phew. Number 6 done. 2,800 words. Not bad. I'm glad this story is passing through my head easily though. However, what do you guys think? Do you like how things are turning out so far? Remember, this is a fanfiction, where anything can happen. This isn't the climax of the violence; it's the start. Well, I don't really have much to say other than that, but thanks for reading. Reviews would be nice too. Chapter 7 is coming soon.


	7. A Rape Sealing Fate

Chapter 7: A Rape Sealing Fate

* * *

Hank stared at the ceiling of his room again. It was one of those sleepless nights. Thoughts ran around in his head. Pain, the Clown, Jebus, the Auditor, A.T.P. agents, 1337 agents, grunts, more pain...pretty much stuff that he dealt with long ago.

He sat upright and sighed. Deimos and Sanford were asleep though. They had much less energy than him, so it explains why they were asleep sooner than he was. Hank thought about what the Chief had told him and the other two.

* * *

(Flashback)

_"We're going to buy some equipment that can be of use to all three of you." Harley said._

_ "What do you mean?" Sanford asked._

_ "Well, for starters, you guys can't just go shooting people and hope you get lucky by not killing anyone. We're giving you some armor and weapons you should have to ensure success on each raid." Harley explained._

_ "Like?" Deimos asked with an eyebrow up in suspicion._

_ "Like night-vision goggles, gas masks, and some darts filled with a chemical to knock-out everyone you hit them with. Much like the ones they use to restrain animals."_

_ Hank nodded. "That could work out nicely."_

_ The Chief looked at him. "Remember, I'm only giving this stuff to you three because I trust you all to get the job done. Don't disappoint me, you got that?" _

_ "No need to worry. We'll finish 'em all off." Hank reassured._

_ The Chief put out his hand, and Hank shook it. It was a deal._

* * *

That was about 2 weeks ago. The Chief ordered them to not raid any gang hideouts until their new equipment had arrived. Deimos had paid the promised 5k to Augustus afterwards and Hank, Sanford, and Deimos had been featured in a newspaper article titled: _"Former Heroes Take Down Entire Gang_". Of course, the article had caused a wave of shock throughout the city as well as a lot of controversy on whether or not the group had done the deed for the sake of Nevada, or for something larger. Obviously, most of the gossip was made up since not much was known about the three. Nevertheless, they were rewarded with a large amount of cash by the city for helping get rid of the criminals.

Hank ran through that specific thought about the Chief's words again and again. This was a new chapter in his life; a chapter that could change everything in the future forever. He wondered how Deimos and Sanford could sleep so easily with that floating in their heads.

Hank pulled out a gun magazine from underneath his bed. It was a bit outdated, but still, it did do a good job entertaining him. He started circling the guns he had and haven't used like a boy writing on a coloring book.

Hank sighed and got bored after finishing the activity. He couldn't take it anymore.

Hank left the house and locked the door behind him. He walked a couple of blocks until he reached the local park. Hank used to walk here all alone in the middle of the night when he needed to calm down. Deimos and Sanford didn't know about this...at least he thought so.

He found the same bench he would sit on every night. The shady one, under the tree. Hank saw the side of the tree marked in tally marks. He counted every night he came here by using his knife to carve a tally. Hank pulled out his pocketknife and carved another one next to the last.

'That makes 57.' he thought, sighing. It was peaceful and quiet, something that was actually rare in the park at night. Teenagers would usually party all night here, but for some reason, tonight was an exception. Hank liked it more than listening to drunken teenagers screaming and yelling with alcohol.

As Hank was enjoying the peace and quiet, he heard a high-pitched scream. He got irritated. The teenagers must've come. The peace was too good to be true. He shrugged it off. But then the scream got louder, and it sounded like it was coming from a woman.

Then there were voices.

"Please, let me go!" the woman yelled.

"Shhh...relax. We don't need to panic now do we?" a man's voice was heard.

"Please!" she continued to yell.

"Shut the fuck up bitch! We're not letting you go! No matter how much you scream! Just let us fuck you and we'll leave you alone!" another more deeper voice said.

"Mmm...boss, can I have dibs after you're done?" a third voice said.

"Relax, we'll all have a turn. After all, she's a feisty one!" a fourth said.

"Yeah, she's a keeper!" the fifth agreed.

"Somebody help me!" she screamed.

"What's going on here?"

The five men turned to see Hank with his arms crossed. Some of them gasped.

"Well, if it isn't the legendary Hank J. Wimbleton? I didn't expect to see someone like you around here." the first man, most likely the leader, said.

"Then you must've made a mistake then." Hank replied. He saw the blonde young woman look at him pleadingly.

"This isn't any of your business murderer. Leave us alone." the second man said.

They turned around to face the struggling woman.

"I just made it my business." Hank said.

The first man sighed. "Look, I know you've killed tons of people before, but me and my boys here; they're not some wimpy grunts you killed. Now piss off, we're busy."

Hank raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? You wanna test that theory out?"

The leader chuckled, and then started laughing. "Did you hear that boys? The killer ninja over here thinks he can take all of us down! He doesn't even have a gun!"

They laughed. Hank let out a small grin.

"To be honest, my fists are as good as a gun." he said.

They stopped laughing and looked at him. "You have to be joking."

Hank put up both his hands. "Nope. Go ahead. I'll let you have the first shot." he said, putting his hands behind his back.

The leader looked at his friends, looked back at Hank with disbelief and started laughing.

"If you say so!" he said. He brought back his right fist and aimed it directly for Hank's left cheek. Although Hank could've dodged it easily, he wanted to take the hit, just to show off a bit.

His fist made contact with Hank's face. Hank's head moved to the side and he stumbled a bit.

The other men laughed. "Nice shot!" one of them yelled.

The leader had a satisfied grin on his face. But Hank started laughing with his head still turned which made the ugly grin melt off.

"Did you really think you got me that time? I've been hit with a giant shotgun before, and you think one horny man's punch is going to take me down?" Hank questioned.

Hank pulled down his mask, spat out some blood, pulled his mask back up, and turned his head slowly back to face the rapist. "My turn." he said with an evil grin. He punched the man with huge power into the stomach and made him go flying backwards. When the leader sat back up, he crawled backwards hastily as Hank started walking slowly to him.

"What are you idiots doing? Get him!" he yelled to the others.

They let go of the woman and all came running at him. Even though she could've ran away, she stood there watching the rare spectacle.

Hank analyzed the situation and planned out his assault.

The first man brought back his fist and made an attempt to punch Hank. However, Hank grabbed his fist and used his free hand to counter attack.

The second came at him with a round-house kick, but Hank moved to the side and grabbed his arm. He then flipped him over and pulled at the arm violently, snapping it into two pieces. The man moaned and went silent.

The third came in with fast speed. Hank used that to his advantage by running at him and punching him in the stomach. The mass force and the speed in which he ran into the attack with was enough to make him fall on his knees. Hank was about to finish him until the fourth came in with a knife.

'So that's how you wanna play?' Hank thought.

Hank pulled out his own pocket knife and grabbed the man's arm holding the knife. Hank stabbed his elbow, making him yell out in pain. He fell down to the ground struggling to pull out the knife. Behind Hank, the third man came up trying to hit him. Hank turned around quickly and punched him in the jaw. Then the second came back up, regardless of his broken arm, and made a second attempt to attack.

That was how it was for another good 5 minutes. The rapists kept attacking Hank, but failed every time. The last body to fall was the fourth, and Hank slammed his head into the hard, concrete floor.

Hank picked up the knife he used from the floor and put it in his pocket. He laughed as the leader backed away slowly.

"Stay away you monster!" the leader said in a feeble attempt to escape. But he was immobilized with fear. Hank continued to walk up to him. Realizing he couldn't escape, the man tried to punch Hank again, but Hank ducked and came back with an uppercut to the jaw. His head snapped back as he stumbled backwards. Hank kicked him in the shins, making him kneel down in pain. Hank grabbed his throat as the man choked for air.

"By the way, I _**did**_ have a gun." Hank said, pulling out a pistol and placing the front on the rapist's forehead. The blonde woman closed her eyes and looked away. But instead of shooting, Hank knocked him out with the hilt of his gun. The woman opened her eyes and sighed in relief.

"You okay?" Hank asked her.

She ran up to him and buried her face into his chest, hugging him. Hank shot up his hands in surprise. He had never been hugged by anybody before, especially from a girl. The warm feeling was new for him. He felt her sob in his shirt. Not being sure how to comfort a woman that's just been on the verge of being raped, he patted her head slowly twice. Then he heard sirens.

'Again?! That's the third time this month...' Hank thought. Hank had started growing tired of talking to the police so he broke away from the woman.

"Where...are you going?" she asked him, sobbing.

"I'm sorry, but I gotta go. I don't feel like talking to the cops right now." Hank explained.

Before she could say anything back, Hank ran off, leaving the girl all alone with policemen coming to her aid. She started explaining everything to them.

* * *

(Back at home)

Hank sighed as he opened the door to the house. He walked in, closed the door, and went up to the bathroom. He was exhausted, and had enough crime-fighting for the meantime. This was the third time he got stuck into a fight against larger odds ever since the club incident. The Nevada police force was doing a really bad job fighting against crime.

As Hank washed his blood-stained hands, he wondered who that girl was and why she nearly got raped. He shook the thought off as he took another shower to wash off his stress.

When Hank began washing his face, he flinched in pain. His left cheek was swollen.

"Maybe showing off was a bad idea." he said to himself.

Hank finished his shower and checked the mirror to see the damage. It wasn't that bad. Besides, he could just wear his mask over it, and Sanford and Deimos would never know.

Hank decided to ignore putting ice on it. He could deal with the pain. His body just showed the injury in a way making it look a lot worse than it actually was to Hank.

He wore some clothes and found himself much more tired than usual. Hank went on his bed, and as soon as he closed his eyes, he fell asleep.

* * *

Hank opened his eyes. He found himself crawling away from something.

In fear.

He didn't know why, but all he knew was that he was in pain and whatever he was running away from had caused it. Hank couldn't turn around to see who it was. His body had a mind of its own.

_"Goodnight Hank."_ a familiar voice said.

Then, everything went black and blurred to a different scene.

Hank found himself covering from enemy fire behind a row of crates with Sanford and Deimos.

Deimos and Sanford were shooting at something, but Hank found himself staring at his own hands, and he felt shocked. Hank still couldn't understand what was going on; his body didn't cooperate and found himself making actions he didn't ask for.

He saw Deimos get shot in the hand.

"Fuck!" Deimos yelled as he dropped his rifle and held his injured hand with his other hand. Hank looked at the wound. Deimos's whole right hand was covered with blood, and the bullet had pierced through the other side. Deimos seemed to be trying to move his hand, but it must've gone numb since Deimos couldn't make it move.

"Hank! You have to carry my rifle! I don't think I can do it anymore with only one hand!" Deimos yelled as he pulled out a pistol and continued to shoot with his good hand from behind the crate.

Hank wanted to help him badly, but still found himself staring at his shaking hands.

"Hey! Did you hear me Hank!? Hank! Haaaannnkkk..." Hank heard Deimos yell as he faded away and saw his vision go black again.

Hank found him in a third scenario. He was breathing heavily, holding a sword.

Sanford and Deimos were on the ground in clear, visible pain. Hank wondered who could've attacked his partners and caused so much damage, until he saw slash marks on their bodies.

And blood on his sword.

Hank denied believing it. He would never hurt them. Ever. No matter how much they angered him. Hank felt his body walk forward and he realized that he was finishing them off.

Hank screamed in his mind to stop, but he found himself raising his sword.

Before Hank had ended it all, a blonde woman with blood on her face ran in front of him and stretched her arms out to defend Sanford and Deimos. He recognized her as the same woman he just saved from the rape.

"Hank! Please stop! Don't you remember me?!" She yelled.

'Why was she doing this?' Hank wondered. But the Hank in front of her was raising his sword to kill her before finishing off his friends.

The dream went black again.

_"Hank...You are in danger..." _a low-toned voice said.

Hank found himself in a completely black setting. He started running back and forth, but couldn't find where the voice was coming from.

"From what!" he yelled.

_"A new wave arises... A wave of destruction and despair..."_ the voice continued, as if not hearing the screaming man in front of it.

"What am I in danger from? TELL ME! Who the hell are you!?" Hank demanded.

_"Beware Hank..._" the voice finished as it faded away.

Hank found himself falling. He didn't know how high he was falling from, but all he knew was that he was falling. He saw spikes waiting for him at the bottom. As they grew larger and larger, Hank realized there was no escape.

* * *

Hank woke up gasping for air. He was sweating heavily.

The window outside his room shined with the morning light as birds chirped along with it. Hank sat upright looking outside. He rubbed his face with his right hand.

'What the fuck was that?' Hank asked himself.

The dream...it felt and seemed so..._**so real**_.

What was going on?

* * *

A/N: Chapter seven is over. Lucky number seven. Not for Hank at least. The story has begun escalating to a large climax, but that doesn't mean it's over yet. At least, not until many more chapters pass by. This chapter is probably one of the most important ones you'll read in this fanfic. Although it seems strange that Hank saved a woman from a rape and has a threatening dream in the same night, trust me, there's a reason for that. Have I ever lied to you? Eight will be up and running soon. Reviews are a writer's blood!


	8. The Cathy Dilemma

Chapter 8: The "Cathy" Dilemma

* * *

Hank had no other choice but to get out of bed. Of course, his last nightmare had freaked him out as he felt unsecure even in his own home. Hank checked Deimos's and Sanford's rooms. They were already awake.

He walked into the kitchen. Deimos was cooking breakfast: omelets, fries, and some... sandwiches?

"It's about time you woke up." Deimos told Hank.

Hank chuckled. "Just because you and Sanford woke up a bit earlier than me doesn't mean you have to rub it in my face."

Deimos looked at him quizzically. "A bit earlier? How about 7 hours early?"

Hank looked back, shocked. Why did they wake up so early?

Hank sighed. "Well, I'm glad you decided to cook today. Though I have to admit, you have a really funny taste when it comes to making breakfast Deimos."

"Breakfast? What the hell do you mean breakfast?" Deimos asked, stunned again.

"_Breakfast_ is what you _usually_ eat in the morning Deimos, after you _wake up_." Hank said sarcastically.

"Well _usually_, people don't eat breakfast three in the afternoon Hank." Deimos returned with sarcasm in his voice as well.

Hank's eyes widened. "Liar. There's no way it's that late."

"Check the clock."

Hank looked up at the wall where they installed the clock. Sure enough, the clock said it was three o'clock. Three-seventeen to be exact.

Hank gaped. He had never slept for so long. Even though he had gone to bed at 2 in the morning, there was no way he had slept for 13 hours! It just wasn't possible, especially for someone trained in the Anti-A.A.H.W. to wake up normally at 5 in the morning!

Hank said nothing as Deimos gave him a plate full of food. He pulled down his mask and started eating slowly.

Deimos sat down with his plate and ate across from Hank. They sat for a while like that until Deimos finally sighed.

"Aren't you going to tell me what happened last night?" Deimos asked with a bit of irritation in his voice.

Hank's back shot up. "How the hell did you know I was out last night?" he asked, astonished.

Deimos rolled his eyes. "Oh come on Hank! Sanford and I knew almost the whole time! Sometimes you sneak out of the house to do some stuff and come back and fall asleep. You've done it so many times that it's practically impossible not to catch on sooner or later."

Hank guessed that it was possible he over-did the frequent sneaking out and back in.

"So, what exactly happened?" Deimos asked with curiosity.

Hank shook his head as he ate. "Nothing."

"Don't give me that 'nothing' bullshit Hank! We know that you did something last night and we want to hear exactly what! There were blood stains on your clothes from yesterday!" Deimos accused him.

Hank cursed himself. Of course there was blood on his shirt! If there were on his fists, then that obviously meant some must've sprayed on his chest. Hank didn't realize that because he fell asleep as soon as he took a shower.

Hank looked around. Deimos said "we", but Deimos was the only one with him.

"Where's Sanford?" Hank asked.

"Sanford went out to get some stuff Hank. Don't try to change the subject!" he angrily said.

Hank exhaled deeply. "Deimos, you're young. And I know how it feels like to be young and curious. But there are just some things we should keep private from each other regardless of how close we are."

Before Deimos could say anything back, Sanford entered the house.

Hank and Deimos watched him lock the door behind him and walk into the kitchen.

"Well Hank, congratulations, you're on the front page again." Sanford told him as he dropped the newspaper on the table and placed the milk and eggs he bought into the fridge. Before Hank could take it and rip it apart, Deimos quickly snatched it.

Deimos started reading the paper and skimming the details. He looked up at Hank over the page he was reading. "Yeah. Nothing. Nothing at all." he said with even more sarcasm.

Hank face-palmed himself. He couldn't hide it anymore.

_"Wanted Rapists Stopped by Hank " _Deimos began as he read the title,

_ "Hank J. Wimbleton, last seen with his partners Deimos and Sanford taking down a gang by the name of "The Nevada Devils" without murdering a single gang member, was spotted again late last night at the local park. During that time, 27-year-old local citizen, Cathy Richards, was caught by a gang of 5 rapists who were wanted for several cases of raping young women during the night. It had been just by coincidence that Hank had crossed their paths on this particular night, and had stopped them from taking their next victim. Cathy, being the only witness to the whole incident aside from the rapists themselves described the whole scene to the police:_

_ 'I was walking home alone from the grocery store when a group of men had ambushed me from behind.' she explained, 'I tried to scream, but one of them covered my mouth with his hand. They knew they couldn't do it in the middle of public, so they dragged me to the park where nobody was around at the time.'_

_ 'I yelled and yelled until my throat had begun to hurt. But nobody had heard or came to my aid. It was too late at night and most of the people in the neighborhood were asleep. The men had threatened to kill me if I made any more noise.'_

_ 'When I thought all hope was lost, Hank had appeared out of nowhere and confronted the five men. They began laughing and making fun of him, just like that guy Brent did in the club.'_

_ 'Hank didn't react. He kept talking back to them and took in their every single threat they threw at him. Then, they let me go and attacked him.'_

_ 'It was amazing! Every last second of it! Hank had taken down the five of them as if they were nothing and saved me! I wanted him to stay, but he just ran off before the police came to help me out and arrested the five of the unconscious men. I owe him my life and gratitude: I feel sorry that I saw him as a cold-hearted criminal. If he hadn't been there that night...God knows what would've happened to me.'_

_ The police had come to the aid of Cathy Richards who had been found sobbing with the five men. One neighbor had apparently called the police after hearing the domestic violence. The local police force has noted this crime and shall begin patrolling areas much more later into the night."_

* * *

Deimos finished. Hank still had his hand on his head as he listened to the whole thing. Sanford was the one to break the silence this time.

"Do you know how many people I was ambushed by for information? Tons. It's even worse than it was after we took down the Nevada Devils." Sanford explained.

Deimos sighed. "Why the hell didn't you tell us Hank? You know we're into that kind of stuff!"

Hank looked up to the both of them with shock. That's what they were mad about? They just wanted to hang out with him and break some bones?

Hank shook his head. "Look, I wasn't expecting to be like the Batman when I left the house. It was just by accident that I met them. I used to go to the park to relax at night. Not by going all Chuck Norris on every single bastard I meet."

Deimos and Sanford said nothing and looked down.

"Hank," Sanford started, "we just want to chill like you. Don't think we're having a better time than you are."

Hank shook his head again. "All I want is some alone time. You guys are cool to be with, but I just want to relax on my own. That's all."

They sighed. "Okay Hank. We'll give you your space." Deimos said respectfully.

Hank felt a bit guilty after Deimos said that and walked out of the kitchen. Then, Deimos tripped on the cord of Hank's giant blender and fell on his face.

Sanford held down a laugh. Deimos came up from the floor and turned around to find his other two roommates watching him and waiting for his next move.

Deimos looked at what he tripped on. "Damn it Hank! Can't you get rid of this blender? It's not like you use it for anything anyways!"

Hank twitched a bit at what Deimos said. He loved the blender and no one was going to make fun of it.

"Don't talk to Betsy like that!" Hank burst out suddenly without thinking.

The three stood in silence.

"You...you called your blender...Betsy?" Sanford asked in disbelief.

Hank, realizing this was a chance to make up for upsetting the both of them, said: "Damn straight motherfucker!"

Sanford and Deimos looked at each other and started laughing.

Deimos stopped laughing. "Heh, at least I don't give my machinegun a nickname!"

Sanford looked at him again. "No, you do. You called it Scarlet or something like that while you wiped it back and forth in the garage."

Deimos's face flushed when he realized Sanford had found his secret and just told Hank.

Hank chuckled. "Of course Deimos knows how to **stroke** a long and straight object well."

Deimos turned to Hank while Sanford struggled to hide the laughter again. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means my blender is way better than your machinegun."

"Is not!"

"Totally is."

"Well at least I can kill people with my retirement gift. What can you do with that thing? Make a smoothie for a MAG Agent?"

Hank looked at him. "I **killed** a MAG Agent before **with **a giant blender."

Deimos and Sanford looked at him, thinking it was a joke. It really wasn't.

Deimos recollected himself. "I can shoot your fucking blender any day of the week with my baby!"

"Well then, let's see if your machinegun can blend. I can make a nice, high-in-iron shake with it." Hank returned.

Sanford shook his head. "Idiots," he said. "At least I don't get attached to an object unlike you two."

Hank and Deimos looked at Sanford, then back at each other and grinned.

"What?" Sanford asked.

Deimos ran into Sanford's room and took out his hook. He ran back to the living room and held it away from Sanford. "Well then, let's see how you like it when your hook gets played with!"

Sanford's eyes opened wide. "Give it back!" he growled.

Deimos and Sanford ran around the living room as Sanford chased him. Deimos however was faster on his feet than Sanford was and was able to evade him easily by jumping around on the couch and over chairs. Hank watched the whole thing with interest. It was like he was watching an old-fashioned cartoon chase.

When Sanford cornered Deimos, he grinned evilly.

"I have you now, you little bastard!" he said through his teeth.

Deimos looked desperately around for an opening as Sanford slowly closed in with his hands ready to grab him.

"Hank! Catch!" Deimos yelled.

Deimos then threw the hook to Hank. It wasn't attached to any rope, so it didn't go back to him.

Hank caught it and stared at it as he held it in his hands.

Sanford turned to Hank and smiled to him sarcastically. "Hank, my good friend Hank, very funny, just give it back."

Hank looked at Deimos who shook his head wildly.

"Give it back Hank!" Sanford said through his teeth.

Hank looked back at Sanford and grinned. "Nope!" he yelled as he ran away from him. Deimos followed him.

Sanford stood there, stunned. Then, he got pissed. Really pissed.

* * *

(10 minutes later)

"HANK YOU SON OF A BITCH! GIVE IT BACK!" Sanford yelled.

Hank threw the hook to Deimos who caught it and ran off. Sanford yelled with anger and chased Deimos. They were practically playing a game of monkey in the middle.

Sanford tackled Deimos as he tripped on the giant blender's cord.

"Heh, heh, now Sanford, let's not do anything rash here my old buddy, old pal!" Deimos sweat dropped.

"I...am going...to rip off...your balls...AND STUFF THEM IN YOUR MOUTH YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Sanford said, breathing heavily in anger and from exhaustion.

"Oh fuck! Hank, help!" Deimos yelled.

Hank shook his head as he leaned at the entrance way. "Trust me, I'm not stopping this; it's getting way too good!"

Deimos swallowed loudly as Sanford grinned, but just then, the doorbell rang.

They all looked at each other. They couldn't remember the last time they had a visitor, or for anyone to ring the bell. In fact, they never had a visitor at all ever since they defeated the Auditor.

Sanford got off of Deimos and went to answer the door. Deimos went to pick up a knife at the kitchen in case if it was unwanted company.

Sanford opened the door and found a blonde girl in front of him.

"Hi!" she said, "I'm Cathy! Do you know where Hank is?"

Sanford stared at her and recognized Cathy's face from the article where Hank saved the woman. He turned around and yelled, "Hank! That girl from last night is at our front door, and she looks like she wants to talk to you!"

Deimos sighed in relief, put down the knife, and got excited. Hank J. Wimbleton with a girl? Beyond priceless. He went and sat down on the couch, watching Hank "greet her" at the front door.

"Hi." Hank said without any trace of emotions.

They stared at each other for a few seconds and Sanford face-palmed himself in his mind. Hank didn't know a single thing when it came to treating girls. He was, after all, one of the few adults on Earth that never went on a date or at least flirted in their entire life.

Cathy finally spoke. "Umm...I guess I came here to say thanks for saving me last night."

"No problem." Hank said.

She didn't say anything else, and Hank slowly closed the door on her. Sanford banged his own head into the wall while Deimos was the one to do a face-palm.

"Hank!" Sanford yelled.

"What?"

"Don't you know one of the first rules to treating a lady? Don't close the door on her face like that!"

"Why?"

"Because that's what people with manners do!"

"Oh I'm sorry Sanford. From now on, I'll make sure I wear a bib every time I eat, and hell, when I drink, I'll put my pinky up! Just to satisfy you."

" Hank..." Sanford muttered. "Come on, I know you're a loner and all that, but show some respect!"

Hank sighed. "Fine. But if this turns into shit, it'll be your fault."

Hank opened the door again. Sure enough, Cathy was still standing outside their door. She must've thought it was some kind of joke.

"Sorry," Hank started. "We don't get visitors that often around here, so I guess I just overreacted."

Cathy nodded. She stood there.

"Aren't you going to invite her in?" Sanford said through his teeth, trying not to make it obvious by looking at Cathy.

Hank looked at her. "You can come in if you'd like."

Cathy sighed with relief as she walked in. Sanford could understand why. That was probably the dumbest second impression a guy can make on a girl, even though he made an epic first impression. Hank wasn't doing this on purpose because he definitely wasn't a retard. He just didn't want to talk to Cathy because of his nightmare. Of course, he didn't show it.

Cathy took a seat next to Deimos. Sanford and Hank sat down.

"Wow, what a big place you guys have!" she exclaimed.

Sanford grinned and nodded. "Yeah, it is pretty roomy."

Hank didn't say anything. Sanford elbowed him while he was grinning. "Say SOMETHING idiot!" he said in a low-voice.

Hank sighed. "You look nice today."

Cathy looked at him and blushed. "Thank you." she told him.

Sanford nodded. Good, he was getting the hang of it.

"I'm sorry I've caused so much trouble last night. I must've disturbed your relaxation in the park." Cathy said.

Hank shook his head. "It doesn't matter. To be honest, I'm glad I had some action to look forward to. Besides, I couldn't just leave you there with those assholes. It wasn't your fault in the first place."

Sanford smirked in his head. No wonder Hank had an IQ of 200. He caught onto things easily.

Cathy smiled. "I'm glad that you're not upset. But you were incredible! Like, that was the most amazing fight I ever saw in my life! It was like watching a movie!"

Hank grinned. "Well, let's just say when you have these two big guns here," Hank showed off the muscles in his arms, "Things can go wild."

Cathy giggled. Now Sanford was surprised. A few seconds ago, Hank didn't know how to greet the young woman at the front door, and now he was showing off? What the hell?

Cathy kept looking around the room.

"You want anything?" Deimos asked her.

She shook her head. "Actually, there is one thing I would like for Hank to do, if it's not too much trouble."

Hank looked at her, confused. "Which is?"

She turned a light shade of pink. "I would like to talk to you at the park tomorrow in the evening."

She was asking him out on a date!

Hank frowned. She was the exact same girl from the dream and he was already freaked out enough to find her at his front door the next day. He felt uncomfortable being with her as they talked.

"Not interested." he told her.

She looked at him, a bit shocked and disappointed. "P-please! I just want to talk the hero that saved me! Nothing else! I just don't know how to thank someone who saved my life."

Deimos heard the desperation in his voice. He glared at Hank to signal him to go for it.

Hank sighed again. Sanford and Deimos were already uptight to make him be with this girl for some apparent reason. They must've thought he needed a partner of the opposite sex to make him happy and he was too unsure of himself to go out with her. Still, one way or another...they were going to be all up in his ass about going with her.

"Fine, I guess I can." Hank said, a bit annoyed he was being pressured by his roommates.

She lit up. "Really! A-are you sure? After all, you are THE Hank J. Wimbleton, so don't you have a tight schedule or something?"

Hank shook his head. "Like I said, I don't have much to do most of the time."

Deimos snickered. Hank glared at him.

Cathy jumped out of her seat. "Oh thank you! I'm sure it'll be great!" she said, hugging the crap out of him.

"Please...can you loosen the grip...?" Hank whimpered her as she kept crushing his bones. This girl may have been helpless from the rapists, but damn does she have a grip!

She let go if him and blushed again. "Sorry." she whispered.

As Hank led her out of the door, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and ran off. Hank froze with his eyes wide open as Deimos's and Sanford's jaws dropped. They looked at each other, and then back at Hank and started laughing their asses off.

"Oh my God Hank! You're going out on a date!" Deimos yelled.

Hank looked at Deimos, angry and embarrassed beyond his wits. "That's because you two idiots just had to push me into one!" he accused.

Sanford looked at him shocked. "Are you kidding Hank!? That girl was _**hot**_! No wonder those guys wanted to rape her!"

"Yeah man! If you don't want her, pass her down to me!" Deimos agreed.

Hank breathed out deeply. He did admit that Cathy looked pretty nice, but he didn't go crazy over her. "Fucking jackasses..."

"Hank, you can't be serious. It's about time you got a girl and this will probably be your only chance. You're around 30 man!" Sanford tried to convince him.

Hank looked at the both of them. "Oh yeah? So I can go out getting myself drunk and hitting on some bitches like you two?" he questioned.

Deimos frowned. "They were not bitches."

Hank glared at Deimos. "Deimos, those girls were drooling all over you two. They wanted you guys in their beds. I'm pretty fucking sure those girls aren't virgins and one of them was bound to have contracted an STD from somewhere. Since you guys were drunk, you probably would've gone with it and wouldn't give a damn until you realize what's happening. By then, it'll already be too late."

Deimos rolled his eyes, even though he knew Hank was right.

"Hank, trust us on this, you need somebody." Sanford continued from before.

"Thank you for worrying, but I'm fine." Hank told them.

"Hank, we can't see you live alone or only with guys. Live life man! You only live once!" Deimos explained.

The phone rang. Sanford picked it up and starting talking while Deimos and Hank continued arguing and paid no attention to him.

"I don't owe either of you anything, but hell, you guys definitely owe me big time. So why the hell should I listen to either of you?" Hank finished.

"Hank! You know that's not true! We were the ones that brought you back to life after Tricky screwed you over! And _**I**_ died in the process!" (Madness Combat 9) "Trust us! We're doing this because it's good for you! Not to mess you up!" Deimos retorted.

Hank shook his head in anger. "Fine. You guys wanna be jerks? One date. Then, you both shut the fuck up about Cathy and every single other girl in the world."

Deimos nodded. Sanford hung up the phone.

"Who was it?" Deimos asked as Hank was still furious.

Sanford turned to him. "It's Chief Harley. He said our equipment was ready. We're going on our second mission tonight."

* * *

A/N: Okay, I thought 3,000 words was long enough, but this was about 3,700. That's way too huge. Some people have trouble thinking about material for their stories and write too little. I have the complete opposite problem. Is that bad? Oh well.

I decided to add this chapter because I realized the story was starting to go dry without humor. The action resumes in the next few chapters. I think this story is turning into crap though. I'm not sure that adding some OC's were good ideas and readers would hate this, but then again...you can't really write this type of story without OC's. Chapter 9 is coming soon for those of you who are hooked (but I bet there's not many of you T.T). See you later!


	9. Second Strike

Chapter 9: Second Strike

* * *

Hank, Sanford, and Deimos arrived at the station at 5:24. Harley saw their faces and nodded to them. There were three boxes piled on top of each other on his desk.

"Here is what I promised to you boys." Harley said as he gave each one of them a box.

They each opened their box. Each box had the same components inside of them: a pair of night-vision goggles, brass knuckles, bullet proof vests and protective armor, and a dart gun, a dart rifle, and, incredibly, a dart sniper.

Hank chuckled. "Chief, you really thought this through well. Dart rifles and snipers?"

The Chief nodded. "These were custom made to give the same feel as a gun would which is why they took so long to get here. Don't lose them; these are secret weapons that nobody should know about except you three."

The three of them nodded. The dart guns were shaped like guns and worked like normal guns did, but looked different and were a bit lighter. They were light green and transparent to the eye. Basically, when a dart makes contact with a solid object and gets stuck into it, it releases the chemical into the victim automatically.

The Chief showed them the shooting range where the police force would train with real ammo and guns. He told them to shoot each of the three targets in order.

Hank went up, and shot the first target easily without the need to hesitate or aim. All five darts hit the head. But before Hank could go to the next, the Chief quickly stopped him.

"Hank," he started, "normally the head is the first place you'd shoot to kill someone, but not in this case. Try avoiding the head as much as possible. Because if you do shoot the head, the dart can get stuck in someone's eye or can cause permanent paralysis since this is a very strong chemical we're dealing with here."

Hank looked at him and shrugged. "If you say so Chief."

Hank moved on to the next two targets and shot all the darts into the body region. It was a simple task for him and he realized that these guns were easier to handle than real guns since they were so light and simple to reload.

After the policemen had replaced the three targets with new, unused ones, Sanford came up next. He takes down the targets perfectly with ease only a bit more slower than Hank.

Deimos came up third. But because he was so situated with real guns, he was a bit confused with the dart guns. As he walked to the third target when hitting the other two without struggle, he accidently fired while his gun was aimed for the people behind him.

Deimos turned around. "Oh God! Did I shoot anyone?"

"Ahem." Hank faked-coughed to get everyone's attention and pointed at Sanford behind him. Sanford was confused until he felt the sting in his arm. He looked down, and sure enough, Deimos's rouge dart was stuck inside.

Sanford's eyes widened. "DEIMOS, YOU SON OF A-" he didn't finish his sentence fast enough as he fell to the floor like a rock.

Everyone gathered around his body. "How long until he wakes up?" Hank asked.

The Chief looked at him and answered: "About three hours."

"Isn't there any other way to wake him up faster?" Deimos questioned.

The Chief nodded. "But I don't think he'll like it."

Hank shrugged. "Just do it anyways, I think he can handle it."

"Are you sure you don't want to know how I'm going to wake him up?" the Chief asked.

"You heard him Chief, just go for it." Deimos confirmed.

The Chief shrugged. "Fine, but it's your call."

The Chief positioned himself in front of Sanford.

* * *

(Sanford's Dream)

Sanford found himself in a field of flowers. He looked around.

"What the fuck? Am I high?" he said aloud.

He turned his head in front of him. Sanford nearly jumped at the sudden figure in front of him.

"Hank? Where the hell are we?" Sanford asked.

Hank smiled widely. Sanford got a little creeped out by his reaction.

"Where's Deimos?" Sanford asked again.

Hank pulled up his shirt. Sanford's eyes widened. Deimos's head was sticking out of Hank's bellybutton.

"Sup bro." Deimos told him, unfazed.

Sanford stood there gaping. Hank and Deimos floated away into the sky.

"Yep. I'm high." he confirmed to himself as he watched the two float away like a balloon.

Sanford turned back in front of him and saw a deer standing on two of its feet.

Sanford shook his head. "What now?"

"Sanford..." the deer whispered to him.

Sanford decided to go with it. "What?"

"You see those flowers..."

"How can I not? They're all over the fucking place."

"Sniff one..."

"Wh-what?"

"Sniff one..."

"Um...no thanks..."

"SNIFF THE DAMN FLOWER!"

Sanford jumped at the sudden yell. He shrugged. "Ah, fuck it." he thought.

Sanford plucked off a flower and sniffed the top of it. It smelled sweet.

The deer started walking to him. "There, I did it." Sanford told the deer.

The deer stopped in front of him, and kicked him in his "man-regions".

* * *

(Reality)

Sanford's eyes opened and he shot up like a rocket, holding his private parts in pain. He realized he was awake and the Chief was the one who kicked him. "Ch-Chief...what the hell did you do that for?"

"To wake you up. Hey, don't blame me, you're friends here were fine with it." he explained.

Deimos shot up his hands in defense. "Hey! Don't blame me either! I didn't know you were going to kick him in the balls!"

"I even asked if you wanted me to explain **how** I was going to wake him up, but you two decided not to listen." the Chief returned in his defense.

"But still! Who the hell thinks it's cool to kick a guy 'there'!" Deimos argued.

"Deimos." Sanford interrupted.

Deimos looked at Sanford. "Yeah?"

"It's still you're fault that I got kicked in the nuts, so I'm going to fuck you over when I get the chance."

Deimos sweat-dropped for the second time today.

"Anyways," Hank began, "Chief, are there any specific gangs you want us to take down tonight?"

Harley turned on his computer and sat down in front of it. "There are a couple. But if you guys can get rid of these few gangs first, then that changes everything completely." he told them. Harley typed in the password and waited for the computer to load. When it did, he opened a file and entered another password again. He accessed the police force database and clicked on the "Gangs" icon. A list of gangs in Nevada popped up.

Harley then checked a couple of files and finally found one that he thought was suitable.

"Alright boys, you wanted one and you've got one." Harley told the trio that was waiting for him.

Hank, Sanford, and Deimos walked up next to Harley and looked at the screen.

"These guys call themselves 'Satan's Pride'. We don't know where they're located at, but we trust you three to find them, take them down, and bring us over to take them to jail. I don't know where you got your information from before you took out the Nevada Devils, but I don't honestly care as long as we can take down these guys first."

Deimos looked at Harley. "Why the hell won't you send some cop cars there and get rid of the guys yourselves?"

"Because, that would attract too much attention and they would just escape. Besides, we would need to have a swat team to take down these guys. I heard there's about 40 of them out there."

Hank froze. "40? Holy shit."

Harley shook his head. "At least, that is. We don't know how many there are in total. All we know is that they exist and they're out there somewhere in Nevada."

Hank shook his head. 'At least 40? How were the others taking it?' Hank wondered as he saw Deimos's and Sanford's faces. Deimos and Sanford looked a bit worried, but much more excited than scared. Hank was shocked that they were so young yet bold. The Anti-A.A.H.W. really did a good job toughening up the younger generations.

The Chief turned to them. "When do you think you can finish the job?"

'Easy for you to say...' Sanford thought as he clutched his sore manhood.

"Chief, we'll try at midnight. Hopefully our sources have something on this one and we'll give you a buzz when we're done." Deimos told him.

Harley nodded. "Then good luck. If you can finish off this mission, you've completely changed the battlefield for the Nevada police force."

Hank, Sanford, and Deimos began walking to their car they parked in the police parking lot. Sanford pulled out his keys and started the engine as Deimos and Hank put the boxes in the trunk.

* * *

When they arrived back to their house, they drove the car into the garage and parked it. They each took their own box and brought them into their own rooms, and Deimos packed the cash in the briefcase. Then, they went to see Augustus back at Langstone bar in "Dead Nevada". When they walked there they saw Augustus sitting all alone with a beer on the pool table.

"It's about time you guys decided to come back." Augustus told them as they walked into the bar.

Deimos came and put the briefcase in front of Augustus. Strangely enough, the only other person in the bar was the bartender, John Langstone: a middle-aged bartender who looked like he was ready to drop dead any moment.

Hank paid special attention to John though.

"Did you hear the news?" Augustus asked them.

"What news?" Sanford asked.

"There was apparently an incident in the bar where 2 men walked in and messed with some of the other customers here. Shame though, that they got shot by a gang of men. Isn't that right John?" Augustus said as he faced John.

John nodded quickly as he was cleaning the glasses. Hank sat down in front of John and asked him for a beer. John nodded. He put down a glass in front of Hank and poured the beer into it. He spills some on Hank's left glove.

"I'm sorry!" he hastily says as he wiped Hank's left hand and the table.

Hank raised up his hand. "It's fine."

He pulls down his mask and drinks the beer slowly. Hank didn't ask for much, just one glass-full to keep him sober. He gives John a five-dollar bill and tells him to keep the change.

"Thank you..." John whispered. But to Hank, he heard it differently.

Hank walked over to Augustus who was pointing a location on the Nevada map to Deimos and Sanford as he spoke. Deimos nodded and left the briefcase on the pool table for Augustus.

* * *

The trio exited the bar together and Deimos showed the map to Hank where he pointed out the location Augustus specified for "Satan's Pride".

"What exactly did he say?" Hank asked Deimos.

"Well he just pointed out the place and gave us some tips and tricks when we get there, like it's a huge mansion and stuff. Also, he was trying really hard to keep us in business with him when he showed off a bit."

"What did he say while he was showing off?" Hank asked again.

Deimos looked at him. "I don't know how that helps, but he said stuff like 'You won't find informants around here like me,' or 'Trust me, I'm the best out there,' or 'It's not like those gangsters you're hunting down for would invite you guys to their hideouts in broad daylight, which is why you have to remember that I'm here to help you out.'"

Hank looked at him quizzically. "Say that last one again?"

Deimos looked at him back with equal confusion. "'It's not like those gangsters you're hunting down for would invite you guys to their hideouts in broad daylight, which is why you have to remember that I'm here to help you out.' Why you ask?"

Hank shrugged. "Nothing, I couldn't hear you clearly. That's all."

"Oh okay."

_'It's not like those gangsters you're hunting down for would invite you guys to their hideouts in broad daylight, which is why you have to remember that I'm here to help you out.'_

Hank felt strangely uncomfortable when Deimos recited that line.

* * *

10:00. They had to get going.

Hank, Sanford, and Deimos put on their gear from the Chief.

"How does it look?" Deimos asked Hank and Sanford as he approached them from his room trying the new style out.

"Not bad," Sanford said. "But I prefer your other outfit more."

"Yeah. I guess that was way more cooler than this stuff, but the Chief did give us this to help make things easier." Deimos agreed as he was packing up supplies into a backpack.

Deimos put the backpack on himself. "Let's go." he said. Hank and Sanford nodded.

* * *

Hank, Sanford, and Deimos went to the location that was pointed out by Augustus. Because it was in a completely different city, they had to drive by car this time. When they made it, they parked their car 5 blocks away from the gangster hideout.

The three of them snuck up near the 3 guards patrolling the area. They were a couple of meters near the area and hid behind the trees. Just like Augustus said, it was a huge mansion. Hank, Sanford, and Deimos pulled out their sniper rifles.

"Each of us should aim for one person. I'll aim for the one up front. Hank, you hit that guy at the far left, and Deimos, the other at the far right." Sanford said.

Hank and Deimos nodded, and aimed for their person. When Sanford saw the both of them ready, he sent out the command.

"Fire."

They all shot their darts at the same time. All three guards fell simultaneously.

The trio ran up to the doorstep, pulled out their dart rifles, and put on their night-vision goggles. They decided to barge in and take down everyone they saw.

Hank shot the men in front while Deimos covered the right and Sanford the left. 17 bodies fell in the attack and they didn't even take a scratch. Harley was right about one thing: the gear did make things better. The goggles helped the three see and aim better than the last raid and the dart guns saved enormous amounts of time.

After reloading, they ran up the stairs to the second floor.

"Who are they?!" one of the men yelled.

Hank pulled out his dart pistol and shot the man that pointed them out in the chest. He fell to the ground soon afterwards.

Bullets were fired all around the room in frenzy. Hank had no choice but to hide underneath a nearby table and take down the other 7 guards from there. He succeeded in taking out two men, but he had a bad angle and was bound to get shot in the cramped space.

He saw Deimos flipping around the room and Sanford lying on the ground firing his weapon.

"Deimos!" Hank yelled. "Throw a flash!"

Deimos nodded and pulled out a flash grenade. He threw it at the other 5 men standing as they stood shocked hearing Deimos's name called out.

"Deimos?! That's Deimos!?" one of them exclaimed as he saw the grenade get tossed near his feet. It went off with a bang, and Hank and Sanford finished the rest of the blinded gangsters quickly.

Hank walked over to Deimos who was clutching his shoulder. Blood was seeping out.

"You okay?" Hank asked him.

"Yeah I think I'll be fine." he assured Hank.

Deimos pulled out the bullet lodged deeply in his body and winced from the pain. He took out some bandages and begun wrapping the wound before it got infected.

Deimos moved his shoulder around. It hurt, but he was feeling better.

After Deimos had done so, the three looked at another flight of ominous stairs. Sanford sighed.

Things weren't looking any easier for the three of them.

* * *

A/N: Okay. So chapter nine is done and over with. From a "Bleh" to an "Eh", I give it a "Meh". I want to thank those of you who have been watching this story every step of the way. I'm shocked by how many views and visitors this Fanfiction has after such a short amount of time. Many thanks given out to all of you guys! Chapter 10 is, of course, coming your way. Later! Reviews help me a lot!


	10. You Killed My Father

Chapter 10: You Killed My Father

* * *

It was over. _Finally._

Hank, Sanford, and Deimos had taken down Satan's Pride, including the gang leader. They stood in front of the door where they entered the final room, exhausted. Sanford took Deimos's cell phone and was the one to dial Chief Harley. Deimos pulled out a cigarette and lit it with his lighter. He inhaled the chemicals and exhaled smoke from his mouth.

Deimos turned to Hank who was leaning on the wall. "You want one?" he offered with a cigarette in his hand.

Hank turned back to him. "No thanks Deimos. You know that Sanford and I don't smoke. It's not good for you."

Deimos shrugged as he smoked his lit cigarette and put back the unused one. "If you say so Hank. You don't know what you're missing."

Hank shook his head. "Trust me. I'm not missing anything without those smoke-sticks of death."

It was true. Smoking a cigarette in Nevada back then when the Improbability Drives were working was like building your own coffin and ensuring you would die. It was a strange omen that had haunted Nevada for the past decade, and Deimos was a good example of a victim who had died because of his smoking habit. No, not by cancer or any other smoking-related death. But by getting shot by an Audit-A.T.P. (Advanced Training Program) engineer. Deimos didn't believe in the myth, and thought that after the Drives were eliminated, it would certainly not come back to haunt him. He was right for the time-being.

"I don't know how you could be so chilled out Hank." Deimos told him.

"What do you mean?" Hank asked.

"Well, don't you have a date this evening?" Deimos responded.

Hank stood there as he searched his memories for what Deimos was talking about. Then it struck him.

Hank face-palmed himself. He would've forgotten if Deimos hadn't reminded him.

Cathy...

Sanford finished the call and closed the cell phone. He gave it back to Deimos.

"Well?" Deimos asked Sanford.

"Meh. Nothing special. The Chief was waiting for our call actually. They'll be here in a few minutes." Sanford replied.

Deimos nodded. The three of them walked down the flights of stairs and back down to the entrance where they waited for the police to arrive. When they saw the multiple cars with flashing lights come to their location, they were met up with Harley.

"Good job boys. My men and I will handle it from here." the Chief told them as the policemen had stormed into the mansion.

They nodded and began walking back to their car. It was a long night that had lasted until early dawn.

"Oh, and Deimos?" Sanford called him out before they entered the vehicle.

Deimos turned to Sanford. "Yeah?" he asked.

Sanford kicked him in the same spot he himself had been kicked by the Chief.

Deimos fell to the ground, clutching himself. "Sanford you bastard...you could've at least given me a warning."

Sanford grinned. "But then it wouldn't be as painful as it was for me, wouldn't it?"

"Why don't you do that to Hank?" Deimos asked.

Hank looked at Sanford who had answered: "Because you and I both know that he could whip my ass in a second, idiot."

Hank nodded and smirked.

* * *

The trio walked through the front door of their home. Deimos took out an ice pack and placed it on his injured shoulder to numb out the pain, Sanford made sandwiches for all of them, and Hank sat down at the table next to Deimos.

Sanford asked Deimos if he wanted to take the shower first as soon as he had finished their meals. Deimos shook his head as he ate his sandwich.

"Nah. My shoulder is burning right now, and I don't want to wash it to make it feel worse. You go on ahead."

Sanford nodded and went down the hall to the bathroom. Hank went to check on Deimos.

"Does it really hurt that much?" he asked him.

"Yeah. It's getting better, but it reminds me of the time I got a clip emptied into my body by that damn A.T.P. agent."

Hank made a small grin. "Trust me; you have it lucky this time. I took bullets to the worst places you can imagine. You know that time I was fighting Tricky?"

"Yeah?"

"Well I got shot in the shoulder and I think somewhere near the hip too on the same mission."

"Wow. And you kept on going?" Deimos asked, fascinated that his idol was telling him a story of his career.

Hank nodded. "Actually, I was more like rushing. I was trying to get away from that motherfucking clown as fast as I could, but of course, I died at the end. He threw me through about two concrete walls, and I had to escape from this huge MAG agent firing a giant shotgun at me."

Deimos raised his eyebrows in amazement. "How the hell did you find the will to keep fighting after all that shit?"

Hank chuckled. "Deimos, I'll be honest with you; I really just wanted to die and escape all the pain. But those bastards; the Higher Powers and Tricky, kept bringing me back to fight. After a while, I started getting sick and tired of fighting and dying, and I stopped caring about whether or not I was going to burn in hell. I just wanted to get the fuck out of there."

Deimos nodded. It was just like Sanford said the night they got drunk and Hank had to bring them both home; if you don't have anyone else with you to endure the pain and struggles you face, then the option of hope just rusts in your heart.

But now, Hank finally had the chance to be happy for once in his life with somebody else.

Deimos broke the silence. "Hank?"

"Hm?"

"Promise me that when you meet up with Cathy you'll do your best to be nice with her."

Hank rolled his eyes. "That shit again? Deimos, I told you and Sanford that I wasn't looking for a partner and I won't for the rest of my life."

"Oh come on Hank, who knows? You just might enjoy it."

"Why are you pushing me into this relationship so much?"

Deimos looked at him. "Hank, you deserve to be happy after suffering and saving the world over and over again. I mean, just living life doesn't fulfill any man's existence."

"And you think that by dating this girl, Cathy, I'll be happy?"

"Yeah. I honestly think so. There are just some things that you can't tell guys Hank, but you can to girls."

Hank sighed. "We'll see Deimos, we'll see."

Sanford got out of his shower and was wearing a towel around his waist.

"Deimos, it's your turn." he said as he pointed to the bathroom behind him.

Deimos groaned. "I bet this will burn off my shoulder." he said as he walked off.

Sanford walked into his room to get a fresh pair of clothes, leaving Hank to think his thoughts alone. Hank ate the rest of his sandwich while he thought about the world around him.

* * *

Meanwhile, Deimos was washing himself in the shower with cold water. Although it was freezing, Deimos did it for the sake of his shoulder.

"Ahh...that's better..."

But suddenly, he heard a flush and before he could shut off the water, it turned from cold and chilling to hot and blistering.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! FUCK!" Deimos screamed as his shoulder burned again.

"That's for my other nut sack Deimos, you bitch!" he heard Sanford yell.

"SANFORD YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" Deimos roared.

Hank watched from the kitchen as Sanford ran out of the bathroom to his room laughing loudly. Sanford quickly came back out, ran to the kitchen, picked up the sandwich he had made for himself, looked at Hank, nodded, and ran back into his room with his meal in his mouth.

Hank sighed. Although Sanford and Deimos were best friends, sometimes, they acted like children when it came to messing with each other. Then again, Hank realized he did help Deimos take Sanford's precious hook away from him and that was pretty childish.

Deimos came out of the bathroom. His skin was red and steaming from the hot water, making him look like a boiled lobster.

"WHERE. IS. THAT. ASSHOLE." Deimos glared at Hank.

Hank pointed to Sanford's room. Deimos was about to go in until Hank pointed something crucial out.

"Aren't you going to wear any clothes Deimos?"

Deimos looked down at himself and realized he was butt-naked in front of Hank. His face turned redder than it already was, and ran into his own room.

Hank chuckled and shook his head as he walked to the bathroom for his shower. Those two were idiots sometimes, but you had to admit, it was pretty funny.

And Hank was glad he had those two idiots instead of all the other idiots in the world.

* * *

While Hank was taking his shower, he heard Deimos yelling at Sanford.

"SANFORD!"

"Deimos? What the hell are you doing in my room? Get the fuck out!"

"NOT UNTIL I KICK YOUR ASS YOU BITCH!"

He then heard the walls banging and a lot of struggling in Sanford's room.

"Get the fuck off me Deimos!"

"I'M GOING TO RIP YOU APART!"

"Umadbro?"

"YES I'M FUCKING MAD 'BRO'! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THAT FREAKING HURT?"

"It's not going to hurt as much as I'm about to hurt you if you don't piss off!"

More struggling. Hank finished his shower. He decided to sleep and let the two of them set things straight. Eventually, he was able to leave consciousness as he slept to the sound of Sanford and Deimos knocking the shit out of each other.

* * *

Hank woke up 8 hours later. He didn't need much sleep since he was trained by the Higher Powers to wake up early. However, that brought up the question of why he had slept almost 13 hours last night.

Hank shrugged it off and decided that there was no point wondering. After all, the human body does tend to do strange things from time to time.

It was around 12 in the afternoon when he woke up. Hank went to the kitchen and made himself a simple bowl of cereal. He turned on the TV. The news featured the three of them with Chief Harley explaining how they were able to take down their second gang.

He continued watching with interest until Sanford and Deimos both walked into the kitchen. Hank turned to face them and he was surprised at the sight he saw.

"Wow." Hank said.

Deimos's left side of his face was completely swollen and bruises covered his arms and legs. Sanford also suffered physically, only there were some cuts and smaller bruises on his face.

"Damn. You two look like you've been hit by a truck. Twice." Hank told them.

"You can thank Captain Dick-Face over here for this whole mess." Sanford said as he pointed to Deimos.

Deimos gave Sanford the middle finger as a response.

Hank turned back to the television. "Well, we're apparently on the news again, so I won't be shocked if this turns up on the paper."

Sanford and Deimos turned to where Hank was looking. They didn't mind the attention anymore anyways. It was already known to Nevada of what the trio was doing, and the media was doing an excellent job broadcasting all the crap they did.

They sat down and made bowls for themselves. Hank finished as soon as they started eating, and walked to the front door.

"Where are you going Hank?" Deimos asked him as he was exiting.

Hank opened the door. "Oh, just for some fresh air." and walked out.

* * *

Hank had his hands in his pocket. As soon as he had left his house, someone had spotted him and the news crews were all over him.

"Mr. Wimbleton, how do you feel from last night's raid?"

"Why have you begun targeting gangs around Nevada?"

"Have you, Deimos, and Sanford been injured during the attack?"

"Who do you plan going for next?"

"Are the three of you going to continue your ring of attacks?"

"What is your take on the gangs that threaten Nevada?"

Hank began answering questions from each reporter, but as soon as he did, 3 more questions popped out of nowhere. Hank was starting to grow dizzy from the flash photography.

"Yes, we have suffered injuries before...no, we will not say anything about who we're targeting next...no, I mean yes! Wait what? I think so...stop the flash photography ple-...no...wait...stop...hold on...STOP!" he yelled loudly.

The reporters all shut their mouths and stopped taking photos.

"Look, I'll answer all your questions, just please don't throw them all at me with them at the same time, alright? You don't need to worry about not getting your answers."

So, the horde of reporters took turns asking questions and the photo-taking was lowered.

After the last reporter cleared out and thanked him, Hank nearly collapsed from exhaustion. He had spent the last 45 minutes answering obvious and ridiculous questions. All Hank wanted to do was get some fresh air, and instead he's attacked by a huge crowd of people asking him stuff that he didn't want to talk about. At least they wouldn't bother him anymore for the rest of the day, and he can spend the next few hours doing what he wanted.

Hank didn't want to go to the park. He was going there anyways in the evening and he didn't want to make a public appearance. Instead, he walked to the local gym where he had made a membership to exercise.

"Yo, Jeff." he said as he walked in.

The man at the counter saw him while he was reading his book. He grinned. "Hank, what's up? How's it going?"

"Ah, nothing much. I just got attacked by a swarm of news reporters though."

"Yeah, I heard. You and your other buddies are all over the news again." Jeff explained. Jeff was one of the very few people who had respected Hank for what he did. Hank trusted him, but not up to the point where he saw him as a friend. After all, Hank doesn't technically "hang out" with people. Cathy was going to be his first exception.

"Well, anyways, I just felt like working out right now." he told Jeff. Jeff nodded. He entered Hank's membership code into the computer and allowed him to go inside. Hank walked in. He started eyeing the treadmill.

* * *

Hank came out sweating. He said goodbye to Jeff as he walked out of the gym. Then, he walked to a nearby store and bought a bottle of water. After drinking the whole bottle down, he realized he had been in the gym for four hours. Hank quickly went home and took a shower. He had to be in the park by an hour. He opened the bathroom door and found a bottle of cologne. There was a note on it.

_"Hank. Sanford and I bought you this. We've decided to get some fresh air too while you were gone. Good luck, and remember, the first date is the important one!" ~D&S_

Hank shook his head. Those two were way too desperate. He sprayed on the cologne and left it on the bathroom shelf. Hank looked at the clock. 4:45. Great, he had to be there by 5. If he can run, maybe he can scratch off 15 minutes from the 30 minute walk.

He made it. Hank looked at his watch. It was 5:04. Not bad.

Hank looked around. Sure enough, Cathy was sitting on a nearby bench and was swinging her legs back and forth looking down at the ground.

"Hey." Hank said as he walked towards her.

She turned around and smiled. "Hey. I didn't think you were coming."

"Well, Hank J. Wimbleton does keep his promises." he told her.

She smiled again. He sat down next to her. Just like Deimos said, he was trying to be nice to her, just to see what would happen in the end.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Hank asked her.

Cathy looked at him. "Oh. You remembered?"

"Why would I forget? That's what I came here for in the first place."

"I thought it might not matter to you anyways. I mean, after all, you didn't need to listen to me."

Hank chuckled. "Are you so glum just about that? Don't worry, I'm here, so let's talk."

"Well, I just want to tell you thanks for saving me from those guys."

Hank rolled his eyes. "Again with the thanking? It's fine, really. You don't need to keep telling me that."

She grinned. "You know, I used to hate your guts until you helped me out."

Hank twisted the corner of his mouth. He definitely expected that. "Let me guess? Did one of us kill someone you knew?"

She nodded. "My father."

"Oh. I see."

They sat in silence.

"So, what happened?" Hank finally asked.

Cathy sighed and began, "My father was a great man. He helped support us every single day and took the time to make us happy. One day though, some A.A.H.W. members barged into our home, and just took him away. My brother was just as shocked as I was. His name was Dan."

"My mother struggled to keep us satisfied after he was gone. She and my brother worked until they dropped. But things in Nevada just kept growing more and more expensive as the war between the A.A.H.W. and you guys escalated. It seemed like the Auditor was taking control of Nevada now."

Hank got upset after hearing that name. Of course the Auditor just had to fuck things up.

"I saw the life around me fall apart. Everything had turned from an oasis to a nightmare as we fought against poverty. The only thing keeping our house was the pay the Auditor gave us from our father working on his side. Even with that, it was not enough to live a decent life. But then, as if things couldn't get any worse, something awful happened."

"2 years later, a letter came back to our house. Attached to our small paycheck was a note." Cathy's eyes were welled up with tears.

Hank knew what was coming next.

"My mother was the first one to read the note. She gasped and collapsed on the floor, crying. Then my brother came to her and asked what was wrong. She pointed to the note. My brother picked it up."

"As soon as he finished reading, my brother said nothing, threw the note, and left the house. I looked at the note as my mother ran to her room crying. It said something I would never forget." Tears were beginning to fall.

Hank looked down at the ground, listening.

" 'Dear Richards' household, we are sorry to inform you that a fellow family member, Barren Richards, has been deceased by Hank J. Wimbleton. We will give you your final paycheck and we wish you a nice day.' "

Cathy was crying now.

"Dan came back home the next morning. He told my mother that he was joining the A.A.H.W."

"I stood there, shocked that he had said such a thing after what had happened to my father. My mother was begging him not to go. Not for him to end up the way my father did. But he said he had no choice. He said he would come back home with...with your head Hank."

Hank still didn't say anything.

"He told us that he had to have revenge. No matter what. Otherwise, he would go insane and kill everyone in Nevada." Cathy continued. "Dan had left the house, but my mother didn't want him to go so badly. She grabbed his right leg with both her hands and kept crying. Dan had slapped her to let go. He had changed so much from that caring person I knew as my brother to a heartless stranger."

"Dan had left the door and drove off before my mother could catch him. We never saw him again ever since. The only reason why my mother didn't drop dead yet was because she knew she had to take care of the only person left in the world to her: me. But she was breaking apart, and still is today. I struggle to give her the will to keep living, but she's losing hope. So much had been taking away from her...the damage was huge. "

"Eventually, the Anti-A.A.H.W. did win in the end, but I didn't care anymore either. My father and brother were gone and my mother was destroyed. So why did it matter?"

"I hated you for so long, but I learned to forgive as I realized it wasn't your fault in the first place. The Auditor had killed my father, not you. Unfortunately, my brother never learned that."

Then, Cathy burst into more tears as she thought back up the note stating her father's death. "The...the way they said it...the way they said about how my father died...it was like...like they didn't give a damn about him! Like he didn't mean anything to them! Why Hank? Why didn't they care? They took my father away and used him as a tool. And then they threw him away as if he wasn't worth anything to the world...but he meant so much to me!" she cried harder. Some people began noticing Hank with the blonde.

Hank couldn't do anything but hug her as she sobbed into his shirt again. "I know Cathy.  
I wish that things weren't this way, but I can't change the past. I'm so sorry that I killed your father."

Cathy kept crying and crying into Hank's chest.

This was the murderer's scar in life: A scar that will never disappear until the end of time.

* * *

A/N: Okay. 3,600 words. That was a pretty big chapter. Second largest in the whole fanfic so far (the largest was chapter 5 by 100 words). But what can I say? This chapter was meant to be long for the epic-ness. Or, at least if it was epic. Maybe the date part was too short? I don't know. So many thanks for those of you who have been reading this fanfic. Within 5 days, I have gained one review from InvaderASH (who has inspired me to keep writing. Thanks bro!) and an incredible view count. Or is it normal to have lots of views on this kind of fanfic? Ah well, I don't honestly care as long as you guys are enjoying it. R&R whenever and wherever you want. And to those of you who think this is epic, you have no idea. If you think this is dramatic, your heads will explode by the end of this story. Well, I guess this is goodbye for now, and Chapter 11 should be up and running soon.


	11. Ctrl Alt DESTROY

Chapter 11: Control-Alt-DESTROY

* * *

Hank closed the door behind him as he walked into his house. He was tired and he felt like crap, not from exhaustion, but from guilt. It was a short date that lasted for only an hour. Cathy just wanted to go home after she told Hank her story. She wasn't in the mood to be on a date. Hank brought her home and told her that he would meet up with her the next evening.

Sanford, shocked that he had come back so early, walked up to him. "Well? How did it go?"

Hank turned to look at him. "Awful. I feel like shit now."

"Did you screw up?"

"No. Well, you might as well say that."

"What do you mean?"

"Apparently, I'm the one who killed Cathy's father in the A.A.H.W. and caused her brother to go insane to kill me. The Auditor did a fan-fucking-tastic job ripping her family apart. Even though she forgave me and said that it was the Auditor's fault in the first place, I can't help but think that this was partially my fault too. After all, I was the one who killed her father, regardless of what she says."

"Oh shit."

"Yeah. So the girl I just went out with tells me that I killed her father and destroyed her family. What a _fantastic_ first date." Hank said sarcastically. Hank walked to the couch and sat down.

"I didn't realize how much we've messed up these people until now Sanford. No wonder they're so pissed at us." Hank continued.

Sanford turned to face him with his arms crossed. "It's just like Deimos told me the night we got drunk: we shouldn't blame the citizens of Nevada because we were the ones that killed the people closest to them after all."

Hank slowly nodded, but then realized Deimos wasn't with Sanford.

'I swear that kid is always on the move.' Hank thought.

"Where's Deimos?" Hank asked Sanford.

"He's in his room doing some shit with his computer. For all I care, he could be watching porn. All I know is that he's still pretty pissed at me for what I did in the shower." Sanford answered.

Hank nodded and walked up to Deimos's door while Sanford went to the bathroom to shave. He knocked before entering, just in case if he ACTUALLY WAS watching porn.

"Sanford piss off! I ain't talking to you!"

"It's me, Hank."

Silence. "If that really is you Hank, you can come in. But make sure _HE_ doesn't walk in with you."

Hank entered the room. Sure enough, he found Deimos working on something with his laptop.

Hank looked at the screen. It looked as if Deimos was playing a game of chess with the computer.

'Chess? I didn't know Deimos played chess.' Hank thought to himself.

He shook off the thought.

"How did your date go?" Deimos asked.

Hank explained the event to Deimos who sighed as he listened to each and every depressing part. After he finished the story, Deimos stopped his game.

"That sucks. Big time."

"Hey, I hope it gets better afterwards. I'm going on a second date with Cathy tomorrow, to make up for today's failure."

Deimos grinned. "So you do like her back!"

"Deimos, I have no choice. She told me almost everything and I can't help but feel bad for her. I can't just leave her now; right when she trusted me with so much."

Deimos nodded in agreement. "I guess you do have some common sense in that thick skull of yours Hank."

"Cathy's life is fucked up. She loses her dad, her brother goes nuts for my head, her mother's depressed, she nearly gets raped, and she's saved by the same guy who killed her father. I think there's a lot more going through her head with this relationship thing than in mine."

Deimos nodded again. He starts going on the Internet to play some online games. Hank noticed Deimos was bored and decided to give him something to do.

"Deimos."

"Yeah?"

"You know that guy I told you about in the story; Dan Richards?"

"Mmhmm."

"You think you can use your hacking skills to get some Intel on the guy?"

"What? Why Hank? Isn't he dead?"

"Cathy told me that she got a note only from her father's death, not from her brother."

"Are you saying that you think he's still alive out there?"

"Could be. Maybe he still has a grudge on me."

Deimos frowned. "Hank, if what you told me was true, I'm definitely sure that Dan is still upset for what you did. What the hell are you going to do with the information I give you on this guy anyways?"

"Well, I guessed that I could go look for him and bring him back here. To Cathy."

Deimos face-palmed himself.

"What?" Hank asked.

"Hank, you're going way too far with this! Don't you think that Dan would be pissed to see your face? He'll shoot you before you can tell him why you're looking for him!"

"I didn't stop you two from doing that first mission we had when we took down the Nevada Devils did I? I supported your ass all the way Deimos, so why the fuck are you backing out on me now?" Hank argued angrily.

Deimos shook his head and exhaled deeply in irritation. "Jebus Hank, it's just not like you to stress over someone like that! Fine, I'll do it. But believe me Hank, I doubt you'll find anything on this dude. We made sure we took down every single one of those motherfucking A.A.H.W. members, so this guy is probably somewhere in Nevada with maggots chewing on his dead corpse."

"Just do it for God's sake Deimos and stop complaining."

Deimos said nothing as he opened up a program. He was going to use a special trick he learned on programming to get the data he needed.

Hank sighed and walked out of the room. He shut the door behind him. Hank realized that he had gotten upset at his roommate just because of one girl. Deimos was right.

It wasn't like Hank to do this kind of thing.

Hank started to walk out of the house again. Sanford noticed him do so.

"Hank, you're going out again?" Sanford yelled to him from the bathroom as he was finishing up shaving his face.

"Yeah. Just for some fresh air. You need anything?" Hank asked.

"Maybe some more milk. We ran out after we ate the cereal this morning. Buy two gallons."

Hank nodded and walked out.

* * *

Sanford washed his face to take off the shaving cream. He dried himself with a towel and looked at himself in the mirror. He rubbed his face.

"Well hello, you handsome devil. You look sexy even with those bruises on your face." Sanford told himself through the mirror.

He looked at Deimos's room. Realizing that they didn't have dinner, he went to go call the pizzeria nearby.

While he was making his order, he yelled to Deimos: "Deimos! I'm ordering pizza! You want anything on yours?"

Sanford wasn't given a response. Sanford rolled his eyes. "Fucking kid can't get over a joke." He finished up the order with a plain pizza, some Buffalo wings, and calamari.

But Deimos didn't respond, not because he was upset. He was extremely focused on the task at hand.

The database for records on all the members of the A.A.H.W. was apparently foolproof as it didn't fall for Deimos's tricks. Deimos had tried hacking into the page about 4 times now, and he realized he had to do something unique on his 5th try or else he'll get spotted. He sighed as he banged his head on his desk. What did he need to do to get his way? Deimos used to access the page before when he was with the Anti-A.A.H.W. for missions, but now the page had seemed to change its security settings as it was hacked multiple times.

Deimos thought for a while. Finally, he saw a loophole and went for it. He entered a couple of commands to his hacking program and prayed it would work. It did.

"Yes!" Deimos whispered loudly to himself.

Deimos found himself on the homepage of the site. It wasn't public and people had to memorize the long website URL to access it. Deimos, being a genius at memory, was able to remember it and type it in. He found the page had changed and saw all the previous projects the A.A.H.W. had attempted to complete. Some were successes while others were failures as they found themselves being attacked. He read down the list.

Although he was still upset, Deimos decided to call Sanford to look at it next to him since this was important. When Sanford came in the room, Deimos explained what he had done. Sanford sat next to him as he scrolled down the list of projects.

Project Build: Success

Project Recruit: Success

Project Boom-Box-Man: Failed

Project Sheriff: Failed

Project 1337: Success

Project 1337 Upgrade: Success

Project A.T.P.: Success

Project OBSV: Failed (Deimos and Sanford gave each other a high-five at the sight of this since they were the ones to crush the Project themselves in Madness Combat 7.5)

Project Jebus: Failed

Project Clown: Failed

Project MAG Agent V 1.0: Failed

Project MAG V 2.0: Failed

Deimos kept looking down after several Projects were listed. He sighed and was about to exit until Sanford pointed something strange out.

"What's that Deimos?" Sanford asked as he pointed at a Project.

Deimos looked down and was shocked to find a Project he had missed. It read: "Project Underground Circus"

Deimos clicked on the project as he and Sanford waited in anticipation. They were only greeted with one 10-letter word:

[CLASSIFIED]

"Damn it." Deimos said. All the other Projects were accessible since they were already over. But for some reason, this one wasn't.

Sanford looked at him. "Can't you just hack again?"

Deimos shook his head as he bit his lip. "I doubt it. It was hard enough hacking into the page itself. Something like this must be even worse since they classified their OWN project on their OWN webpage."

"Still...I don't remember this project being taken down. In fact, I don't even remember the Higher Powers saying anything about it." Sanford said.

"Yeah...me neither...something's up. Anyways, I'm lookin' for some guy named Dan Richards or something here. Hank said that he's Cathy's brother and wanted to know some stuff on him." Deimos told him.

Sanford nodded. Deimos found the A.A.H.W. member list and clicked on it. Sure enough, a list of names had popped up. Deimos looked down the list. Next to the names were all DECEASED in red. But then, to his shock, he began finding names with the word MISSING in blue.

"Missing? How the hell can someone dead go missing? After all, we clearly left their bodies where we killed them." Deimos asked.

"I don't know Deimos, just keep looking."

Deimos kept reading down the list. Finally on the bottom, he found Dan Richards. Deimos looked to the side and saw the words MISSING in blue.

Deimos realized Hank was right, but he had to know more about this guy. Deimos was about to click on his name to go to another page until a message popped up on his screen with the classic error sound.

[Your computer has encountered a problem and may need to shut down]

Deimos realized it must be a trick and he clicked the IGNORE button instead of the OK underneath it. But as soon as he did, the same message popped out.

"What the hell..." Deimos said, staring at the message. He clicked the IGNORE button a second time.

The message came back for a third time, but just before he could click anything, another message popped up.

[LEAVE. NOW.]

Deimos clicked out the two messages. Just then, he was sent with the two same messages again. And more began to pop out one-by-one before he had the chance to react. Each message said a different random thing as the computer kept making the same annoying sound every time a message would appear.

[ERROR!1!]

[LOL!1!1!1!]

[HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA]

[U WILL DIE U WILL DIE U WILL DIE U WILL DIE U WILL DIE]

[POOP!]

[PORN PORN PORN PORN PORN]

[ROFLMAO U N00B]

[YOuR cOMPUTeR HAS DETEcTED A VIrUS Y0U FAGG0T!]

[WE WARNED YOU!]

[YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE!]

Sanford and Deimos stared wide-eyed as the computer was being spammed with the messages.

"Deimos! Do something!" Sanford yelled as he couldn't take anymore of the excessive sounds.

"I don't know Sanford! My computer is being attacked!" Deimos shouted back as he desperately tried to save it.

The messages continued to pop out as Deimos tried to shut off his computer, but it wouldn't stop.

Then, the messages stopped. Just as Deimos thought the shut-down process had worked, one last message popped out.

[GOODBYE DEIMOS]

And the computer crashed. Deimos tried turning on the computer to see the damage, but just then, his computer made a strange clicking noise. And then smoke came out of it.

"Oh fuck!" Deimos shouted, "My computer!"

Deimos kept clicking the ON button repeatedly but was still stuck with the black screen. Suddenly, a digital skull had came on the screen and made a HUGE screeching noise that made the both of them jump.

The skull stayed on the screen like that as Sanford and Deimos tried to calm down after the jump-scare. Deimos punched and broke the screen of his computer to stop the screeching skull.

Sanford shook his head. "What the fuck was that?"

"We were attacked by a virus apparently." Deimos responded.

"No shit Sherlock. But I've never seen a virus attack a computer like THAT before."

"That's because that was no ordinary virus Sanford."

"Huh?"

"That's the kind of virus the government uses to fuck hackers' computers up. Why it would be on this site, I don't know."

Deimos thought about it more carefully. The message [GOODBYE DEIMOS] kept appearing in his head.

"This virus was made just for us." Deimos continued.

"What do you mean?" Sanford asked, still confused.

"The Higher Powers allowed me to hack that same website 3 years ago. Someone must've known I was coming here and stopped me. I'm using a supercomputer Sanford. There's no way that this thing can just crash from one simple virus."

Deimos looked at his destroyed computer. He picked it up and threw it into the trash. Sanford heard the doorbell ring and realized it was their pizza. He walked to the front door with his wallet while Deimos sat thinking about what had just happened at the kitchen table with Sanford.

* * *

Hank came back home soon after and smelled the pizza. "Well, looks like you two don't like to share." he joked.

Deimos and Sanford said nothing as they ate their slices.

Hank placed the two gallons of milk into the fridge, wondering why they were in such a bad mood. "What's the matter? Did you two fight again?" he asks.

Deimos was the first to speak. "Hank, I looked up your guy on the A.A.H.W. database with Sanford."

"Yeah?" Hank said.

"We did find him, but there was some more stuff on there. Disturbing stuff."

Now Hank was getting nervous. "Like?"

"Hank, have you ever heard of the A.A.H.W. Project called: 'Project Underground Circus'?"

"No, why?"

"Well we found a list of Projects on the site and that was the only Project that was classified. All the other projects were either labeled success or failure. This one wasn't. Sanford and I haven't heard of it either, and can't remember whether or not it was eliminated."

Hank looked at him quizzically. He never heard of the Project from the Higher Powers which could mean something disastrous.

"Also, when I saw the list of members, they were labeled. Of course, the Higher Powers did say we killed all of them, but some of the members were labeled MISSING. Including Dan Richards. We tried to click on his profile, but my computer was attacked by a super-virus before we could."

"What happened then?" Hank questioned.

"Well, you can look at the trash can next to you to find out."

Hank saw the destroyed computer in the can near him.

"So...you're saying that..."

"That's right. Someone knew we were there. And somebody doesn't want us to access that file." Sanford finished for Deimos.

Something was going on.

And somebody didn't want the three of them to know about Dan Richards.

* * *

A/N: Okay. Fuck. I have to end the chapter here because I just have no idea how to continue something like THAT with smaller, unimportant, and boring details to follow. I made this chapter specifically for Deimos and Sanford as I realized I'm ignoring them a bit too much in the plot. Anyways, I also wanted to end this here so I can finish this damn day.

...Hmm...I don't really have anything else important to say I guess without giving away the plot...okay random fact: I hate to flush the toilet late at night in the dark because I get scared a ghost or something would jump out and attack me from the shower. Please don't ask why, I'm just born that way.

Read and Review. Chapter 12 is being sent your way. Thanks, and good night!...or good morning...or some shit...

Bye. :D


	12. Just Play and Forget Your Problems

Chapter 12: Just Play and Forget Your Problems

* * *

There was blood everywhere. The walls and floor was stained with the murky red liquid color.

Hank looked around. He stared in front of him. It was a one-way hallway. He couldn't go back because he found himself right in front of a wall.

There were bodies hanging from the ceiling by ropes. Hank recognized them all as A.A.H.W. members. They were dripping with blood. Whatever had done this wasn't human.

Hank looked in front of him. The lights flickered off and went back on. It happened again. Hank saw a door at the other side.

"Well...I guess I don't have much of a choice do I?" he said to himself.

Hank started walking. The lights flickered again. When they turned back on, Hank saw a cloaked figure in front of him.

Hank walked a few steps backwards and took a defensive position. But then, the lights flickered off, went back on, and it was gone.

Hank got out of his stance, and kept walking. Then he heard something that sounded like...static?

His right boot stepped on a puddle of blood. Suddenly, the lights went off and on and the figure was right in front of his face. It gave him a smile with something that looked like zombie teeth.

Hank stumbled backwards. He blinked and it was gone.

Hank decided to move back, but just as he turned, he found the wall right in front of him. Whatever this thing was, it wanted him to keep moving forward.

Hank turned back around and sighed. He kept walking and finally reached the front of the door. He opened it and saw something he would never forget.

Zombies. Lots of them. About a hundred of them were crawling in the room. Luckily, Hank was high above their heads. It was as if the doorway he was looking from was floating in mid-air.

Hank looked down. The zombies had spotted him and were trying to reach his flesh. But Hank was 20 feet above them and there was no way they could get him. Hank saw the room below him. It looked like a torture chamber of some sort where they would throw bodies for the zombies to feast on. There was blood and body parts scattered all over the place. But the undead were still hungry.

"What the hell happened there?" Hank asked to himself.

_"__**Why don't you go and see for yourself**__?_"

Hank turned around and found the cloaked figure right behind him. Before he could react, Hank was pushed by the man down to the zombie pit. He laughed as Hank fell to his doom and the zombies ready to rip him apart...

* * *

Hank woke in a sweat and found himself shaking violently. He was relieved it was just another nightmare, but he realized he couldn't stop shaking. It was as if all the muscles in his body were vibrating uncontrollably. Hank felt himself ready to explode.

Having no other option, he screamed: "Sanford! Deimos!"

Sanford and Deimos immediately woke up from their sleep and ran to Hank's room. They saw Hank shaking in his bed as if he was having a seizure.

"Holy shit! Hank! Deimos, make something hot for him!" Sanford yelled.

Deimos dashed to the kitchen and turned on the hot water. He poured some into a large glass and ran back to Hank. Sanford took the glass from him and gave it to Hank. Hank grabbed it and drank the whole blistering hot glass in one gulp.

He gasped for air as he felt himself regaining control again. The muscles in his body had relaxed from the warm water. Sanford was holding him upright to allow the water to flow through his body.

"Hank! Are you alright?" Sanford asked.

"I-I don't know Sanford. I felt like my heart was going to explode. Literally. I think you two saved my life." Hank replied.

Deimos and Sanford looked at each other. They looked back at Hank still breathing heavily to calm down.

"You think you're okay now?" Deimos questioned.

"Yeah...you two can go back to sleep now." Hank answered.

"Hank, you scared the crap out of us. Is this some kind of joke?" Sanford said.

Hank looked at him. "Do I look like the type of person that wakes up in the middle of the night and pretends to have something like a heart-attack just for a good laugh?"

Deimos shook his head. "Hank, you've changed lately. We feel as if you became a completely different person nowadays."

"Look, I'm fine, alright? Quit worrying. Thank you for waking up and helping me stop shaking." Hank assured them. Hank didn't want them to be worried although Deimos was still right. But if they stressed over him, he would only be an obstacle from living their daily lives.

They watched Hank for a while, making sure he was totally normal. After realizing that they could do nothing else to help him, they told him goodnight and went back to their rooms to fall asleep.

Meanwhile, Hank kept sitting upright. It was the second nightmare he had in the week and this one had somehow almost killed him if Sanford and Deimos didn't wake up. He let his head rest on his pillow. It was 5 in the morning and Hank was tired.

But he didn't allow himself to sleep. There was no way he was going to rest again that night after what he just experienced.

* * *

Hank stared at the ceiling for the next two to three hours. He heard Sanford wake up and get out of his room. Sanford walked over to check on Hank and saw him staring.

"Hank, you didn't sleep did you?" he asked.

Hank nodded.

Sanford sighed again. "I know a lot of shit is going on lately and your head might be going nuts, but listen, we're here to help you if you need it. So just stop killing yourself like this. People have the occasional nightmares Hank and you need to calm down. The A.A.H.W. is gone and we don't need to worry anymore."

Hank said nothing. Sanford went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Of course he was worried about Hank. Hank J. Wimbleton was afraid of nothing 3 years ago as he took down some of the most vicious men who lived. And now, he was afraid of the only thing that he has the power to control:

Himself.

Back at Hank's room, Hank decided to get up from his bed. Just like in his dream, he had no other choice. The only problem was; he had no idea what waited for him as he opened the door to the future.

Hank didn't know what was wrong with him. He was changing all of a sudden from a cold-blooded killer to...something strange.

Hank walked to the kitchen. He turned on the TV and waited for Sanford to finish cooking.

Sanford took out three plates for the three of them. He put the scrambled eggs and pancakes onto Hank's plate first. Hank ate slowly since his appetite was affected by his sudden-death moment. He looked at the TV for the news. When he found the channel, he nearly dropped his whole plate onto the ground. There was a picture of him and Cathy at the bench as he was hugging her.

Sanford saw that too and chuckled. "Looks like the paparazzi gotcha' Hank."

Hank shook his head. "Son of a bitch..." he muttered.

The reporter was speaking as the headline said: "Hank J. Wimbleton on a Date?"

_"Yesterday evening, local residents spotted Hank J. Wimbleton at the park with Cathy Richards: the woman he had saved from the raping that had occurred 3 to 4 days ago. It seems as if they are in a relationship as shown in this picture taken by a witness. Reports say, however, that Cathy had suddenly begun crying as she was with Hank, who seemed to be comforting her. Many who have seen the picture believe that Hank had finally found his 'soul mate' or his 'true love'. In addition-"_

Hank turned off the TV. He couldn't bear the stupidity of the media anymore.

Sanford looked at him quizzically. "Hey! I was watching!"

Hank threw the remote to Sanford's hands. "Watch it on your own then."

Sanford suddenly realized Hank was upset. "Oh. Hank I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insul-"

"Yeah, yeah Sanford, I hear you. It's not your fault anyways. Fucking media cast can't keep their mouths shut. Now I know how those Hollywood celebrities feel." Hank responded as he walked out of the kitchen and through the front door again.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sanford asked him as he noticed Hank didn't finish his breakfast.

Hank shrugged. "The gym, I guess."

"Again? Didn't you just go yesterday?" Sanford asked again.

Hank shook his head. "It's not like I have anything to do here, and we both know that as a fact. That's what I did yesterday when I went on that date with Cathy."

Hank walked out and met faces with Deimos.

"Oh hey Hank. If you're going out can you buy some smo-"

But Hank had already left the house.

Deimos looked at the closed door, confused, and then turned to Sanford. "What's up with him? All I wanted was a pack of cigarettes."

Sanford put food on Deimos's plate and turned on the TV. "Watch." he told him.

Deimos sat down and watched the news. After a while, he finally spoke: "Is that why Hank's upset?"

"Yeah." Sanford told him.

"But I don't get it, isn't it a good thing?" Deimos questioned.

Sanford looked at him, shocked. "No you retard! It isn't! People are starting to take Hank as a fool now because of what happened last night!"

"Sanford?"

"What."

"Are you sure you and I are talking about the same thing?"

"Huh?"

"I don't get how Hank would be upset that hot dog prices are lowered."

Sanford looked up to the TV and saw the report had changed. All this time he was talking about Cathy and Deimos was focused on hot dogs.

He sighed and told Deimos the situation himself as he sat across from him and ate.

"Ohhhh. Okay. You could've just told me from the start you know." Deimos stated.

"I'm sooo sorry Deimos that I couldn't control the news channel." Sanford mocked him.

"Well, maybe we should get something to cheer him up." Deimos suggested, ignoring the sarcasm.

"Like?" Sanford asked.

"I don't know. Something simple."

"Deimos, I'm not buying Hank another gun or a giant blender. We already have enough of those." Sanford said, staring at the giant blender and their gun collection.

"No, and hell no on the blender. One is fucking enough for that guy. I was thinking maybe something we can all enjoy indoors." Deimos confirmed.

"Well, you came up with the idea so you should figure something out." Sanford explained as he washed both their dishes.

Deimos sat thinking. Then, his face lit up as he found a solution. "I got it."

"What?"

* * *

Hank came back 2 hours later. He was attacked by the news again and he didn't feel like exercising much. But he was pretty surprised to find Sanford and Deimos on the floor.

"Deimos, I think you stick this in there."

"No Sanford, that won't fit. The hole's not shaped this way."

"God, don't you remember how to do this? We used to play with this thing tons of times before at the Anti-A.A.H.W.!"

"That was 3 years ago man! Some of the stuff here changed."

Hank looked closer, and to his relief, they were trying to set up some kind of electronic device. If he hadn't seen what they were doing as he was entering, he would've taken the whole situation into a COMPLETELY different scenario.

"Gay." Hank said, trying to get their attention.

"Shut the fuck up Hank." they both said at the same time. Then, their eyes widened.

"Hank! Why did you come back so early?" Sanford asked when he looked up.

"I didn't feel like staying at the gym after a while. Fucking news crews pissed me off even more than they did yesterday. Couldn't get through or go back into the house without answering their damn questions. Also, everyone I met while I was walking down the street was congratulating me for having a hot _**girlfriend, **_which just ticked me off even more. What the hell are you two doing on the floor?" Hank questioned.

Sanford watched Deimos plug in the last few plugs into the living room TV. "We thought that we should have something besides a TV or a computer to entertain us when we have nothing to do. So we bought a game system."

"And it helps kill _**my**_ boredom since _**my**_ computer was raped yesterday." Deimos added.

"Right." Sanford confirmed.

Hank looked at the rectangular electronic box. "Game system? You mean like the one we had at the Anti-A.A.H.W.?"

Sanford nodded. "You used to play with yours?"

Hank shook his head. "Yeah, I used it once or twice, but I wasn't really a fan of playing video games."

"Done!" Deimos yelled as the game appeared on the screen.

Hank looked at the TV as the introduction to the game popped out. Sanford and Deimos used to play against each other all the time when they were bored, and they gained experience in using the system. They found the exact same game they had played long ago and tossed it to Hank.

"Burst Kill 3?" Hank said as he read the title.

"Yeah! We used to play it all the time!" Deimos told him.

Hank shrugged. He saw it was a first-person shooting game from the pictures on the back. If Sanford and Deimos wanted to play this with him, then he supposed he could. After all, it wouldn't really harm him if he played one or two times with his roommates.

"Okay then. So you got three controllers?" Hank asked.

Deimos pulled out three controllers from a plastic bag.

Hank nodded. "Alright then, let's start."

Sanford tossed the control manual to Hank in case if he forgot how to play. Hank caught it and started reading it.

"It's okay if it'll take you 10 or 20 minutes to get the controls Hank. After all, Deimos and I already worked with this game before so-"

"Done." Hank said as he tossed the manual to the floor.

Deimos and Sanford looked at each other. Sure Hank had an IQ of 200, but nobody can figure out how to work a game after skimming through the whole control manual 10 to 15 seconds!

"Hank, you don't need to be so impatient, we want you to enjoy this with us." Deimos told him.

"Trust me. I got this." Hank told him.

Deimos sighed. "If you say so."

Sanford connected each controller into the system and set up the match.

They each took a controller and sat down with their legs crossed.

"It's 2 versus 1. If we kill you 20 times Hank, we win, but if you get 10 kills out of us, you win."

Hank shook his head. "Make that 20 into 10 Deimos."

Deimos looked at Hank with the 'Are-You-Fucking-Serious?' look.

"Hank, are you sure? I mean we both played the game and this is your third time! You'll get destroyed!" Deimos warned.

Hank looked at Deimos with the 'Yes-I'm-Fucking-Serious-So-Shut-The-Fuck-Up-And-Start' look. "Deimos, I don't give a shit if I win or lose. It's just a game."

Deimos looked at Sanford who was focused on the screen. Sanford shrugged. "If he wants to play that way, let him Deimos."

Deimos took a controller. "Alright Hank."

Hank took the last one for himself. He turned the controller around to see the back. Deimos grinned in the back of his head at how naïve Hank looked. To be honest, Deimos and Sanford bought the game not only to enjoy themselves, but to finally show off and beat Hank at something. This was the perfect opportunity to do so.

"Let's go." Sanford said as he picked up his controller and started.

* * *

(Later)

Deimos and Sanford were left gaping at the screen at the final score. Hank had killed them both 10 times and died only twice.

Hank put the controller down and sighed. "That was okay I guess. It did help keep my mind off of some stuff." he told the both of them.

But they still gaped. "Hank, are you sure this is your third time playing this?" Sanford asked him.

"Yeah. You guys sucked." Hank smirked.

Deimos put his hands on the sides of his head and grabbed his hair in disbelief. They had both tried their hardest to beat Hank. Sanford and Deimos played this same game on the same system hundreds of times, and Hank had owned them with only 2 times' worth of experience. There was just no way! They must've gone easy on him...or forgot how to use the controls.

But that still doesn't explain how Hank was able to destroy them so easily.

"R-rematch Hank! We were going easy on you, that's all!" Deimos said desperately.

Hank chuckled. "Fine. One more."

But it wouldn't be only one more. It would be A LOT more rounds.

* * *

(MUCH Later)

Deimos threw down his controller in disappointment. "Well, there goes the rest of my self-esteem for this game." he said.

Hank had defeated them both again for the 8th time in a row. Sanford face-palmed himself.

"Hank?" Sanford asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can't you ever let us win at least SOMETHING over you?"

Hank laughed. "Not until I'm dead Sanford."

Sanford sighed as Hank went to go take a shower. Deimos shook his head.

"Unbelievable. That bastard's always showing off." Deimos told Sanford as he cleaned up the system.

"Well. He _IS_ Hank J. Wimbleton, Deimos. And he does tend to surprise people from time to time." Sanford answered with his arms crossed, laying on the couch on his back.

Deimos said nothing as he changed the channel to watch some TV. Hank really was just something else.

Hank wore his clothes and sprayed some cologne. The three of them had been playing for so long that it was already evening.

'So much for just one or two games.' Hank thought. He began walking out of the house until Deimos asked him something.

"Where are you going **now** Hank?"

Hank turned around. "To Cathy. Where else?"

Deimos looked at him with an astonished look. "Cathy? Aren't you already humiliated enough Hank?"

Hank exhaled deeply. "Look, I made a promise with her and I have to keep it. After all, Hank J. Wimbleton does keep his promises."

Deimos nodded slowly. Hank turned to walk out of the front door.

"Hank?" Deimos called out.

"Yeah?"

"You're a real good guy, you know that?"

Hank grinned. "Thanks." he said as he left.

Deimos waited until Hank was gone, and then quickly started setting up the game again.

"What are you doing Deimos?" he heard Sanford say.

"You don't remember do you?"

"Remember what?"

"We had a score to settle from the Anti-A.A.H.W."

Sanford went through his head and then finally remembered him and Deimos being in a tie after playing 20 rounds. Of course the master of memory would remember something like that from 3 years ago.

"For God's sake Deimos, now? We just played hours of this same crap with Hank."

Deimos laughed shortly. "Come on Sanford. For old times' sake, let's end this tie. Unless you're _chicken._"

Sanford rolled his eyes. Deimos may be a grown man, but he's still a kid in the head. Sanford came down from the couch to the floor in front of the television. "Watch how the master does it."

They started the game up and began their match.

Just like the good old days.

* * *

A/N: Another comedy/bonding chapter. I just did this one to connect with some of the readers out there, you know, those gamer fans. But it's getting extremely difficult to organize this story. I mean, I have all the events planned out in my head, but when and where these things take place is the real problem. Plus, what happens before and afterwards is also a critical factor. Oh well. The next chapter should be up soon. I hope you enjoy this story so far, and I'll see you later.

~Spirit9871


	13. Augustus is the Key

Chapter 13: Augustus is the Key

* * *

Hank finally had made it to the park. Cathy was sitting at the exact same spot she had been from the evening before. He walked up behind her.

"Boo." he said.

Cathy jumped and turned around. She sighed in relief as she saw it was just Hank.

"Hank, you actually came again?"she asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Surprising huh? Even after all the shit the news said about us, I guess I still came."

Cathy smiled. She thought that Hank would be enraged about how he was being portrayed in the community and would hate to see her face again. But still, he showed up.

"So, are we going to do what we did yesterday or..." Hank trailed off.

Cathy opened her eyes wide as she realized he was talking. "Oh! Well, to be honest, I don't think we should actually count last evening as a date. Today's going to be the real deal!"

Hank looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean by that?"

She giggled at his cluelessness. "You'll see Hank. Come on!" she told him as she grabbed his hand and ran off to the amusement park nearby before Hank could say anything back.

* * *

Hank read the sign on top of the amusement park. It said: "Sunset Amusement Park: Where the only rule is to enjoy yourselves! (and no littering)"

They stopped in front of the ticket booth and Hank paid the man up front (who was pretty shocked to find Hank J. Wimbleton right in front of his face). He let them both in, and Cathy grabbed his hand again inside. Some people had noticed Hank and Cathy, but the two didn't seem to mind. After all, if they were going to do this, they might as well face the public now.

Cathy pulled him into the most cliché ride of them all first: the Sunset Rollercoaster. They waited shortly in line until it was their turn. Hank gave the man two tickets and they took their seats. When the ride started, Cathy sat a bit nervous while Hank merely waited for it to end.

The coaster began gaining speed as it went up its first escalation. It stopped as it reached the peak and went down incredibly fast. Everyone except Hank was screaming their lungs out on the ride.

Hank may have been bored just sitting there and would've fallen asleep if he wasn't looking at how Cathy was reacting to the ride. He chuckled as he saw her face covered in a mixture of fear, nervousness, and excitement. Hank would've probably enjoyed the ride if it hadn't been for what he experienced for more than half of his life.

* * *

The ride made 3-round trips through the course and finally stopped at the starting point where the next group of people waited. Hank was the only one to come out of his seat as if he hadn't gone on the ride. The rest of the customers, including Cathy, had dizzily walked out of their seats. Hank helped Cathy out of their car.

"Wow! That was scary! How did you feel Hank?" she asked him.

Hank shrugged. "To be honest, I didn't really feel much of anything."

"What! That ride was horrific! How can you walk out as if you felt _nothing!?"_

Hank turned to her. "You already know the reason to that Cathy."

Cathy stopped for a moment and realized who she was talking to. "Oh. Right."

There was an awkward silence between the two. "I guess that to you, these rides are a waste of time." she broke the silence with.

Hank breathed out of his mask. "They would, but I have to admit, I did have fun looking at your face during the ride. You looked like you were ready to piss yourself."

She blushed lightly from embarrassment. "Oh shut up." she told him rolling her eyes.

Hank made a short laugh. "You want to do anything else?"

Cathy thought to herself. Then one ride had caught her attention.

"What about that one?" she asked him, pointing.

Hank looked at where she was referring to. It was apparently called "The Drop" because it would go high into the sky and drop suddenly down to Earth. He nodded to her.

"Okay. If you want to, then let's go."

She smiled as she grabbed his hand again and ran to the ride.

They waited in another line and gave the ticket collector their tickets. Then, they clipped their seatbelts on and sat down on the ride. Just like the roller coaster, it rose up slowly, reached its peak, and dropped down like a rock falling from the sky. Hank heard the people around him scream, and although he wasn't scared, the drop did give him a feeling of excitement inside his chest.

The ride had finished, and Hank helped Cathy out again.

"How was that ride?" she asked him.

"Definitely different, but the drop did give me an energetic feeling in my chest." he answered.

Cathy nodded and grabbed him to go on another ride.

"Jebus Cathy! You just don't get tired do you?" Hank told her.

She laughed. "You only live once Hank!"

"Cathy..."

"Hank! You know what I mean!"

And that's how it was for the next few hours. Going on different rides and doing different events; they had enjoyed themselves more than anyone else in the park. Finally, they walked out since they didn't have any more tickets and the park was closing.

* * *

Cathy sighed from exhaustion and happiness. "Oh my God! I can't remember the last time I had that much fun!" She was holding some prizes that Hank had won for her and was eating cotton candy.

Hank pulled down his mask to eat his cotton candy. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Cathy looked at one of her prizes: a teddy bear.

"God, Cathy, you're just like a little girl." Hank told her as he saw this.

She stuck her tongue out at him playfully. Hank rolled his eyes.

She placed her head on his shoulder. Hank sighed and let her as he ate his dessert. Cathy's head came back up when Hank had reached her house.

"Thank you Hank. Tonight was one of the best nights of my life."

"You're welcome. I guess tonight was pretty fun."

"Oh, Hank you have some cotton candy on your face." she told him.

"Really? Where?"

"There." She said as she took off some candy near his lips with her right finger and put it in her mouth. Cathy gave a seductive look to Hank (who was stunned at what had just happened). She turned around, opened her door, told him goodbye, and closed it. Meanwhile, Hank pulled up his mask, still shocked. He saw Cathy as an innocent young woman after their first meeting, but what she just did to him signaled that there was more to her than just that.

Hank shook his head. Women. They were such a mystery. Hank had never talked to a woman ever since he had joined the Anti-A.A.H.W. In fact, Cathy was the first female he had a conversation with after he, Sanford, and Deimos eliminated the Auditor. The Higher Powers didn't allow any relationships to go on with their agents which is why he felt so awkward talking to one.

He checked his watch. It was 9 at night. He had to get back to Sanford and Deimos. After all, they had to take down their next gang.

* * *

Hank walked back into the house. He saw Deimos with his head in a couch pillow while Sanford was reading a book titled: _"84 Basic Ways to Kill a Person". _Sanford looked up.

"You're back. Was today better than yesterday?" Sanford asked Hank.

Hank nodded. "Yeah. It was pretty nice. I have to admit though, that girl Cathy; she has A LOT of endurance."

Sanford's eyes widened and Deimos looked up at Hank with equal shock.

Hank thought for a moment and blushed as he realized his words had double meanings. "N-no, I don't mean it like THAT. What I meant was; she just doesn't stop going on rides in the amusement park."

Sanford narrowed his eyes, wanting to know if Hank was telling the truth. "Which park did you go to?"

"Sunset Amusement Park."

Sanford sighed in relief as he confirmed Hank's defense. Deimos put his head back into the pillow.

Sanford went back to his book. "So you enjoyed the rides?"

"Not really, but you have to admit, looking at a girl screaming her ass off next to you is enjoyable." Hank smirked.

Sanford grinned himself. Deimos said nothing as Hank noticed what he was doing.

"What's wrong with Deimos?" Hank asked Sanford.

Sanford turned around and saw Deimos. "Oh, him? Yeah, he's pissed because I owned his ass in Burst Kill 3 while you were gone."

Deimos mumbled something that Hank and Sanford couldn't understand.

"What was that?" Sanford asked him.

"I said; 'That's because you cheated.'" Deimos said as he raised his head up.

Sanford rolled his eyes. "Oh stop being such a whiny bitch Deimos. You were the one who wanted to break our tie."

"You totally camped me out near the end!" Deimos protested.

"Dude, you cornered me, what the fuck did you expect me to do?" Sanford said in defense.

"Fight!"

"Easy for you to say Mister 'All-Balls-but-no-Penis'."

"Hey, just because I charged at those retards from the A.A.H.W. doesn't mean it's a bad thing!"

"I saved your ass 5 times because of that shit!"

"I saved _your_ ass 10 times!"

"Because you just had to run in and spam every single motherfucker in every single room!"

"Well I didn't want to camp like you always do!"

"DEIMOS THAT WAS NOT A FUCKING VIDEO GAME! WE WERE FIGHTING ACTUAL PEOPLE WITH ACTUAL GUNS THAT COULD'VE ACTUALLY KILLED US! NOBODY'S GONNA GIVE A SHIT IF YOU CAMP OR NOT !"

"That's because-"

"Shut. The. Fuck. Up." Hank interrupted.

They both looked at him.

"We have a mission to do tonight, and all this bullshitting will get us killed. So screw what happened and stay focused on what we're going to face later." Hank explained.

They both said nothing. Deimos walked to his room and got another briefcase of cash ready while Sanford went to call the Chief. Hank wore a new pair of clothes he had in his closet, took Sanford's keys, and went to the garage to get the car started.

The other two walked in.

"Ready to go?" Hank asked them both.

"Yeah." They both said in union.

Hank opened the garage door, and drove off to the station.

* * *

The trio had quickly gotten their armor and weapons and had decided to just leave their car at the hands of the police. They didn't want to waste anymore time driving back home and walking all the way to Dead Nevada. It would just be faster if they walked straight there.

They found themselves in front of Langstone Bar again. This time when they entered, the bar was full of random people who seemed to be either partying or drunk on the floor. It seemed as though it was another busy night for the bartender, John Langstone, as he frantically cleaned glasses, poured them with alcohol, giving glasses to customers, taking in the cash he earned, and returned back their change. Poor guy was 50, and at this rate, he'll be dead in no time.

Hank looked around and saw Augustus sitting in his classic spot: behind a pool table with both feet over it. He seemed to have fallen asleep in the midst of all the chaos around him.

The three of them walked over to him, ignoring all the noise, and stopped in front of the pool table. Augustus slowly looked up and saw them. He grinned.

"Come again I see?" he began.

"Yeah, yeah, you should get the system by now." Deimos told him as he slid the briefcase across to Augustus.

Augustus shook his head. "I'm sorry boys, but I can't give you the info you want this time."

"Why not?" Sanford asked.

"Because you're 5k in debt." he told them.

Deimos rolled his eyes and shook his head in irritation as he pulled out his wallet and angrily wrote a check for the large amount of cash. He threw the check to Augustus who looked at it, nodded, and put it in his own pocket.

"We're going to need to meet in the back alley again. There's too much attention here." Augustus said as he carefully examined the faces of the customers.

Augustus led the three of them out through the back door and shut it again. Making sure no one was being nosy into their conversation; he turned to them and put out an open hand. Deimos pulled out a map and smacked it in his palm. Augustus ignored Deimos's impatience and pointed out the location on the map.

"After you three took down the Nevada Devils on your first raid, there's been a problem with another gang lately around these parts. They're called the "Order of the Gray Blood". Why they're such a nuisance to Nevada now is because the Nevada Devils were their only competition. And of course, when they 'magically' disappeared from the map, there's no stopping these guys." Augustus explained.

"How many-"

Augustus cut Sanford off. "The question isn't 'how many' anymore Sanford. It's whether or not you guys can take down the leader along with some high-ranking members of this gang. Otherwise, Nevada will be overrun with these motherfuckers. If you don't eliminate them now, they will eliminate you. There's about more than a hundred of them swarming around the place and their numbers are still growing."

Hank, Sanford, and Deimos all blinked in shock. A _hundred?!_ They were barely able to handle a gang of 40 men, and even then Deimos had suffered a bullet to the shoulder. But to take down a hundred! And in three hours?! That was just physically impossible even for all three of them. It was like trying to take down a horde of zombies. No level of skill could possibly achieve that kind of feat!

Sanford shook his head. "Holy fucking shit. One hundred men! That place must be infested with those damn assholes! Deimos, Hank; we might be taking in more than we can chew! We'll be dead before dawn if we run down there and start flaring our guns!"

Deimos was sweating himself. He didn't want to die again, and the Higher Powers had already cut off contact with them after they had wiped out the A.A.H.W. If they were to die, they would stay dead. Deimos was unsure about this decision. He would go either way, but there was only one thing that would make him go.

And that was Hank.

Deimos turned to Hank. Hank looked down and was shivering. Sanford and Deimos were shocked that Hank would be so upset, but before Deimos would say anything back to Augustus, Hank shot his head up to the sky and heartily laughed. Loudly.

Hank cracked his knuckles and was grinning wildly with an excited look on his face. "This sounds like something I wanted to do for a really, _really_, long time!"

Deimos sighed. Of course Hank would be overjoyed at something like this, but someone saying that a mission like this was as fun and easy as a stroll through the park is a liar.

Deimos turned to Augustus. "Well, that's your answer. 2 to 1. We're going."

Sanford face-palmed himself while Augustus continued instructing them. "Then you must go into stealth. Every block of this neighborhood-" Augustus circled a row of streets, "-is full of gang members. Your main and only target is the leader. If you can capture him and send him to the slammer for questioning; all the gang plans will come down with him."

"Wear dark clothes, be as quiet as you can, strike at night: do anything in your power to not get caught. If you do and miraculously come out alive, don't bother trying to do this mission again." Augustus finished.

Sanford and Deimos began walking out until Hank had stopped the two of them from leaving.

"What are you doing?" Sanford asked him.

"Just wait." Hank replied. He turned to Augustus who was also confused at what was going on.

"Augustus, you've been a good informer-"

"Always was and always will be; may I add?" Augustus broke Hank off.

"Right." Hank said, a bit irritated, "But now, I'm going to give you the ultimate test."

Augustus looked at him quizzically. "Don't keep me waiting, just go ahead."

"Augustus, do you know anything about Dan Richards?"

Augustus suddenly sat a bit more upright and something seemed to flicker across his eyes.

Deimos turned to Hank. "Are you fucking kidding me Hank? What the hell would Augustus know about-"

"You'd be surprised Deimos." Augustus said in a much deeper and darker tone.

The three turned to him, surprised that Augustus knew something about Dan.

"Dan Richards was my colleague in high school. He was my closest friend there and had helped me with my studies before I had dropped out. A very bright and athletic young man; Dan Richards was one of the most popular students there."

"One day though, news had spread that Dan had abandoned his home after he learned that his father was gruesomely killed in the A.A.H.W. His mother and sister had desperately gone for him and tried to retrieve him back from the clutches of the A.A.H.W., but they were stopped each and every time. Eventually, they were threatened that if they did not stop their shenanigans, they would be tortured and killed."

"When the war ended, veterans who just wanted to return home from the Agency came back. However, most men who did not come back were obviously believed as dead. But who would care? The majority of them either didn't have families nor had even just one person to give a damn about whether or not they were still alive. After all, they weren't worshipped as heroes, so a large portion of them were considered missing."

'That explains the [MISSING] on the members' list...' Deimos thought. But why would the Higher Powers lie to the three of them? In fact, to all of the members that had served the god-like men?

Augustus sighed as he stared down at the floor, trying to dig through his memories. "Dan Richards however, is dead. So don't bother looking for him."

Hank pegged down Augustus with his eyes. "How do we know you're not lying?"

Augustus chuckled. "Have I ever lied to you three before?"

Hank kept staring through Augustus.

Sanford exhaled deeply. "Hank, let's go. We've already gotten our answer and even more than we bargained for. Now we're just wasting time. There's nothing else we can do."

Hank turned around and walked slowly into the bar. Sanford and Deimos followed suit, leaving Augustus to stare blankly at the floor beneath him in deep thought.

As they were walking out, one of the drunken customers had gone for Hank's wallet, not realizing who he was trying to rob since he wasn't sober. Hank grabbed his head and smashed it on the floor. Some of the customers gasped as they saw blood come out of the would-be thief's cracked skull.

"Don't worry you alcoholics, he's not dead." Hank announced. He then turned to Sanford and Deimos.

"Let's go before I actually kill somebody in this god-awful place."

They said nothing and merely followed him out the door. Hank was still thinking about something in his head. No, Dan Richards was not dead.

Hank knew he was missing. And Augustus was hiding something from him.

* * *

A/N: Okay, first off, I would like to obviously apologize for updating so late. The reason being is this: I caught a fever very recently after taking the HPV shot (yes it's for men too since it can cause cancer of the penis) and it caused a reaction in my body. I first had a headache and then a 105-degree fever (I'm not exaggerating this), and everything tasted like shit. The top of my tongue had turned snow-white and I realized I was infected with something (no, not HPV). I went to the hospital for my high fever and the doctor diagnosed me obviously as sick. Tomorrow, I get to know exactly what got me so sick. Now, my headache and high temperature is gone, and in its place, I have a MASSIVE sore throat.

Enough about me, I want to say thank you for all my supporters and advisors on the forums of . I have made a new thread called: "New Multi-Chapter Madness Combat Fan fiction" and if you wanna see what all the fuss is all about, come on by and chat with us. I'm still Spirit9871 there and I had a blast listening to different people.

Special thanks to Cryono, one user on for inspiring me and Wulf for wishing me to feel better. I'm thinking about making a Sanford/Deimos fanfic after this one is completed because of popular demand. So, I'll have the category of yaoi and straight Madness Combat Fanfictions in my stories (no lemons though). Fun for everyone!

I'm a bit stuck here because a couple of my thoughts had been wiped out by my illness. I'll update as soon as I can so we can finish this story off with a bang. See you in Chapter 14.

"Stay thirsty my friends."

~The Most Interesting Man in the World


	14. To Steal A Mockingbird

Chapter 14: To Steal a Mockingbird

* * *

Hank, Sanford, and Deimos hid behind a dumpster. They had already gone home and gotten equipped. Just like Augustus said, they wore dark clothing and were going for the kidnapping.

It was a simple task: Knock out the gang leader of the "Order of the Grey Blood" (or, O.G.B. when abbreviated) , get the fuck out of there, and bring his unconscious body to Chief Harley for questioning on further plans of the threatening group. Easier said than done.

The complex where the leader was located in wasn't far from the Nevada Devils. It was, in fact, in a large part of Dead Nevada, so getting there didn't take long by foot.

For one thing, Augustus was right. There were O.G.B. gangsters everywhere, inside and outside of buildings. They would have to silently pass through block after block of enemies without being suspected. If they did, then the leader would make a run for it, and there would be no way for the three of them to re-attempt the same mission since they wouldn't be able to know of his location. In addition, even if they were to embrace in combat, there was no telling where their foes would strike. Hank, Sanford, and Deimos were accustomed to fighting in closed spaces and against all their targets in sight. This allowed them to strike before anyone else could have enough time to react.

But now, the tides have turned, and things were not looking good for the trio. At any given moment, someone could snipe them from a nearby building and they wouldn't be able to detect where the shots were coming from fast enough before being attacked on the streets.

There were seven men walking around this street and they would have to pass 3 more gang-infested blocks like the one they're currently in.

Hank turned to his other two roommates. "Okay, this will be real simple. You two stay here. I'll go for the leader." he ordered.

Sanford's and Deimos's eyes widened. "What! Hank! That's totally unfair! You know we want to do this thing with you! So why the hell are you putting us behind the field!" Deimos protested. Sanford nodded in agreement.

Hank sighed. "Listen. There's only one way to get this guy, and that's through stealth, right? Well, I personally don't think it's stealthier for three men to be lurking in the shadows compared to only one. Besides, if I get caught in the act, you two know damn well that I'm the only one out of the three of us that will be able to come out alive, at the least. Then, while all the chaos is going on, you two can get out of here easily since we're not far from the bar. That will be our rendezvous point if any shit goes down. Got it?"

Sanford and Deimos said nothing. "Then what the fuck do you expect us to do while you're running around in those black pajamas?" Sanford asked, with a bit of ridiculing in his tone.

"If I'm on the verge of capture, you can distract the gangsters and divert their attention away from me. Knock them out when they come over, and just make sure you don't bring the whole gang to your location. Otherwise, we're all fucked." Hank explained.

Again, the two of them went silent. Deimos pouted. "We shouldn't even be on this mission then Hank, if you just told us what you were planning."

Hank chuckled. "Who knows? You two just might save my life again."

Sanford rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah Hank. We know no matter how much you seem to amaze us, you're not immortal."

Deimos pulled out his map with Augustus's marks on it and gave it to Hank. "Here, you're going to need this. Just don't screw up, alright? Because we're not going to be the ones hauling your dead ass back home."

Hank put the map in his right pocket. "Thanks. You two are a big help."

"Just go Hank, before we change our mind." Deimos said with a bit of irritation showing in his voice.

Hank nodded and slowly walked off. He crossed the line over to the O.G.B.'s side. It was official.

Hank was inside Grey Blood territory. And he wasn't welcome there.

He quickly hid behind some piles of garbage. Although it smelled dreadful there, Hank could handle it. After all, the smell of death was far worse than just a pile of garbage.

Hank watched as the group of gangsters walked off, not noticing the body lying near them. It was pitch black outside, and Hank's dark clothing had made him practically invisible to the human eye. Plus, the garbage bags covered in the black fabric it was made in had only added to his level of camouflage. The only way somebody was to find him is if he were to jump in front of their faces or if they were to look more closely and see Hank's outline. But that would be too random, and there was definitely no way Hank was just going to run right in front of them.

Hank checked the map Deimos had given him and saw that he was on the right path. He saw the 7 men, who were laughing and enjoying themselves rather than busy guarding, walk off. He silently ran a couple of meters until he had to take cover again and hide behind an alleyway as more gangsters walked by him. Hank realized that there was a faster way to finish this and looked over his head. The roof of the building he was hiding behind wasn't that high up. It was about 12 feet away from his grasp, and he knew he could make it.

Hank did a quadruple jump upwards and caught the edge of the roof. He pulled himself up and saw the ground below him. He was lucky; if he hadn't done this drastic move, he would've been caught as he noticed the gangsters searching the alleyway he was just in. Hank moved away from their line of view and saw the row of rooftops in front of him. He began running and leaping onto each building as the men underneath him couldn't realize that they were being spied on.

Hank finally stopped on the roof he was on. He checked his map again. Augustus had showed them where the leader was hiding at and Hank knew his target was under his feet. Hank looked around for an entrance other than the front door. No doubt the building was under high security and if he went down, he would be shot.

As his eyes traced his surroundings, he saw a loophole. Hank could burst through the glass top of the building (much like in the start of Madness Combat 5), sneak attack the guards, and take down the gang leader.

Hank looked below him. The two men under him were talking. It was perfect: they were distracted and they would be easy to take out.

Hank pulled out his dart rifle and burst through the glass. The gangsters covered their heads in shock and before they could react, Hank shot the both of them. They slumped against the walls as Hank reloaded his weapon.

"No doubt somebody would've heard that." Hank thought. And he was right.

The guards at the entrance heard the glass shattering and ran into the building calling for reinforcements as Hank ran down the stairs.

* * *

Sanford and Deimos saw what was going on, and Deimos lit a garbage bag on fire with his lighter. Sure enough, that caught some attention and most of the men going for Hank had turned around to see what was going on. Sanford and Deimos jumped out behind the dumpster they hid in and pulled out their rifles.

" 'Sup bitches!" Deimos yelled as he fired. Sanford followed his lead and they watched each gangster fall to the rocky pavement.

Some of the gangsters couldn't react fast enough as darts impaled their stomachs and chests while others were raising their guns and firing. Sanford jumped to the side and shot their attackers while Deimos fell on his back and continued shooting. Deimos flipped backwards again to stand and shot 4 more men. Suddenly, as darts and bullets flew to each side, Sanford felt a bullet whiz near his head from a different angle. He looked up and realized they were being attacked from windows of the buildings near them.

"Shit! Deimos we need to take cover! We're being sniped!" he yelled.

"Ah fuck, I hear ya! Let's go back behind the dumpster! At least it'll give us some cover there!" Deimos yelled as he continued to fire darts. There were bodies lying everywhere and the enemies seemed to endlessly appear out of nowhere to strike.

Sanford and Deimos ran behind the dumpster. Deimos began setting up his sniper rifle while Sanford made sure nobody came to their line of cover. When Deimos was done, he quickly aimed and fired at the gangster in the nearby building.

"Bullseye." he grinned as he saw the sniper fall back. Deimos reloaded for another shot.

* * *

Meanwhile, during all the panic, some of the guards decided to go for Hank instead. Hank began running down flights of stairs and shooting the gangsters in his way with his rifle. When he realized he was out of ammo, he threw his gun at one guard, stunned him, pulled out his pistol, and continued firing. Hank picked up his rifle, knowing that he couldn't allow it to fall in the wrong hands. He then took out the darts from his sniper and placed it into his rifle.

Hank turned around and saw more guards. Some stopped to take aim and fire while three others came in with melee weapons. Hank shot one guard and used his body as a shield. The gangsters stopped shooting, not wanting to risk the fact that they could accidently hit their ally. However, the other guards with nightsticks and metal bats kept running. Hank threw the body at one of them and punched him in the jaw, knocking him out.

As another guard swung his bat at Hank's head, Hank ducked and punched him in the stomach. He fired a dart from his rifle and took him down as well. Then, he picked up the metal bat and threw it at the third's head. Blood came seeping out as he fell to the ground like a rock, but by then, Hank didn't care whether it killed him or not.

The gangsters across the room, realizing Hank was all alone at the other side, continued firing. Hank quickly ran through an opened door at his right side. He saw two more men and a door at the other side. Not wanting to waste anymore time, he pushed one person to the ground and shot the other in the leg. Hank ran down another flight of stairs and finally found the leader with his two guards. Hank shot the three of them down with his rifle.

Hank carried the O.G.B. leader's body. He heard more voices behind him and knew it was from the men that he hadn't finished off. There was only one other door left, and Hank carried the leader to it. Hank opened it and ran in just before he saw bullets fly behind him. If he had exited a second later, he would've had clips emptied into his body.

Hank realized he was outside as he saw vans lined up in a parking lot. He had found the back door for an escape the gang leader would've used to run off, but Hank was able to stop him just before he could. Hank ran as fast as he could with the heavy body on his back to a van, finally making it to the door, and put down the body.

As Hank searched and found the keys the leader kept to the van, he heard the door in the building he just escaped from slam open. Bullets began flying past him as he opened the van door and hid behind it as cover. The gang members began running after him, but by then, Hank was already inside with their leader, and the doors were locked. Hank searched the keys for the right one to start the car and felt glass shatter around him. The gangsters were searching their own keys to open the locked door with Hank trapped inside; fighting off the men who were breaking in while trying to start the car. Hank was faster than them, found the right key for the van, and turned it to ignite the engine. As Hank saw the van's headlights go on, he slammed the accelerator and drove off as fast as he could, leaving the gang behind him in the dust.

* * *

Deimos checked his ammo and realized he was all out. He had nothing left to use.

"Sanford!" he yelled, "I'm on empty!"

"Deimos just take my pistol and hold them off anyway you can! We'll think of something by then!" Sanford answered back.

Deimos nodded, pulled out Sanford's dart pistol, and kept firing for dear life. Just then, he heard a car horn.

"Oh God! Please don't tell me there's MORE of them!" Deimos prayed.

The men let the van pass, not realizing that it wasn't on their side.

"Get in!" Hank burst out to them.

Sanford and Deimos recognized the voice and came out of their cover. They shot the remaining gangsters near them (who were stunned to find Hank J. Wimbleton in one of their vehicles) and cleared a pathway to the back of the van. Deimos opened the doors as Sanford shot more men. They both jumped in.

"Go Hank, go!" Sanford hollered.

Hank sped away again as fast as he could as Deimos struggled to close the doors. They drove off hearing the curses and bullet fire from the O.G.B. members behind them. None of the vans were fast enough to pursuit them, so they were in the clear.

All three of the trio was breathing heavily. They couldn't remember the last time so much adrenaline had pumped in their veins before until now.

"Holy fucking shit." was all Deimos could say to describe the shock he was in.

"That was beyond close. I told you this mission was a bad idea from the start!" Sanford angrily replied.

"But San! We did have a hell of a time doing this, and Hank got the leader, right Hank?" Deimos defended.

Hank merely nodded. He cocked his head to the passenger's seat of the car where Sanford and Deimos saw a tranquilized man with a dart stuck in his left arm lay.

"Hank, you never cease to impress me." Deimos complimented.

"That's fantastic Deimos. Just...fantastic." Hank tried to reply as nicely as he could. But he didn't feel like talking much.

"What's the matter Hank? Aren't you at least happy?" Sanford asked him.

Hank sat silent. Finally, he spoke. "I'm tired Sanford. The last time I went on a mission like this, it was at the A.A.H.W., and I died."

"Tired? Since when was the great Hank J. Wimbeton tired?" Deimos mocked.

Hank didn't say anything. "Deimos, will you take the wheel for me? I'm not feeling like myself."

Deimos looked at him quizzically, starting to feel worried. "S-sure Hank. Whatever you want. I'm sorry I got you into this mess."

"It's fine...really." Hank sighed.

Deimos and Hank switched places. Hank fell on his back and felt darkness begin to consume him. He hadn't slept for a while, and he didn't care if he would have another nightmare again. All he wanted to do was sleep.

Sanford watched Hank go into unconsciousness. Then he turned to Deimos who was focused on driving.

"Deimos?"

"Yeah Sanford?"

"I knew you were going to eat your words."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Looks like you've camped today my friend. Behind the dumpster with me."

Deimos sat, staring at the road. Finally, he realized Sanford was referring to the argument they had on the video game they played earlier this evening.

"Sanford?"

"What?"

"Shut the fuck up." Deimos muttered, not wanting to show defeat.

Sanford smirked. "Told ya you little bastard."

Deimos gritted his teeth and clenched his hands on the steering wheel.

'Damn it! Well, at least things can't get any worse than this.' he thought.

But Deimos was wrong. Things would get A LOT worse.

* * *

Deimos drove all the way to the station. Sanford had called Chief Harley on their situation.

"Is this the Chief?" Sanford began.

"Yes, and to whom am I speaking to?" Chief Harley answered on the other end.

"It's me Sanford."

"Sanford? I see. Has the mission been a success?"

"Yes. We have the leader in our possession and are driving to the station."

"Were you able to capture anyone else during your raid?"

"No. All hell went loose as soon as Hank had begun his assault."

"May I speak to him?"

"Actually, he's unconscious right now."

Silence. "Is he alright?"

"He's just tired, that's all, after we made a drastic escape."

"A drastic escape? What exactly happened out there?"

Sanford continued to give out details to Harley as Deimos saw they were returning back to familiar territory. He stuck his head out of the window and looked back. Nobody was following them.

Deimos sighed as he was just as exhausted as his other two comrades. It would only be a couple of minutes until they returned back to the safer side of Nevada.

"...Where exactly are you three now?" Harley asked.

"We're just crossing the border over Dead Nevada back home."

"Very well then. I will be waiting in the station with my men to receive your target."

"Thank you."

There was a click, and Sanford hung up. He gave Deimos back his cell phone.

"Deimos, exactly how much longer until we get there?" Sanford impatiently questioned.

"Listen, I'm going as fast as I can right now, but a van doesn't go as fast as a Lamborghini you know." Deimos responded. "I don't think you should be worried about when we're getting home Sanford. How's Hank?"

Sanford looked at Hank who didn't even stir. "Strangely quiet."

Deimos chuckled. "That's Hank for ya. The quiet guy."

Sanford didn't say anything back. True, Hank was a quiet type of person, but not **this** quiet. It was as if he stopped breathing as he was unconscious.

"Deimos?"

"What now?" Deimos said, irritated.

"I think there's something wrong with Hank."

"What?"

"I said; I _think_ there's something wrong with Hank."

"What are you talking about Sanford?"

"His skin, it's getting...pale."

"Huh?"

"Damn it Deimos! Are you def? I said he's getting paler by the minute!"

Deimos stared at the road in front of him, with concern showing in his eyes. "Switch with me San. Just for a sec."

Sanford stood up and took the wheel as Deimos went back. Sanford drove a bit faster than Deimos.

Deimos checked on Hank. Although Hank may not have approved of it, Deimos took of his bandana, mask, and goggles. Sure enough, the color was draining out of his face.

Deimos scanned Hank's body, but couldn't find any physical injuries. He then put his hand on Hank's head to check his temperature.

Hank was burning up.

"Sanford, drive faster."

Sanford didn't need to say anything back to confirm his suspicions. He just added his weight to the accelerator as the van sped off.

* * *

A/N: Wow. That was a lot of fast-paced action to cover. It was extremely challenging trying to describe all the Madness Combat action, but I hope that you at least got a good image of what had happened. Plus, this was probably a dramatic set-back for the plot. Believe it or not, this chapter was 3,500 words! So, this is something I wanted to give you guys to make up for my absence.

I'm starting to doubt if my story is actually catching much attention, but I am doing my best to keep you all entertained. However, I want to see how you guys are handling it. What do you ultimately think of this story so far? Is it getting boring? Or are you still hooked by the clues I've given so far? Reviews are important, and I would love to hear from as many people as I can.

Thank you for following this story and I'm sorry updates are going so slow. I've just recovered from my fever and now I realized that it's getting harder to stretch this story out without boring people. Don't worry. A lot of suspense will follow this chapter. Keep an eye out for new updates and such. Good night, and see you in Chapter 15.


	15. Just Another Day

Chapter 15: Just Another Day...

* * *

Hank opened his eyes and found he was staring at a white ceiling. He didn't need to turn his head to see that he was back at home.

Hank sat up. He felt a sharp pain in his head. Hank grunted as he held his head in his right hand.

"The fuck happened last night...?" he muttered.

Hank suddenly saw images flash through his head from his previous raid. As he confirmed his suspicions, he saw Deimos slowly peer into the room to check on him.

Hank sighed. "I'm awake you know."

Deimos jumped at Hank's sudden comment. "Well it's about time."

Hank checked the room around him and saw the clock he left near his bed. He picked it up and saw it was three in the afternoon.

Hank shook his head. "Deimos, exactly how long was I out?"

"Almost a whole day."

"What! This better not be some kind of joke, or I'll be _**REALLY**_ pissed off Deimos!"

"It isn't a joke Hank. You were out for so long that we had to bring you to the hospital to see what's the matter with you."

"Well, what was the problem?"

"The doctor said you were over-exhausted. And he was damn right. You didn't sleep before we went on our attack did you? Because you were burning up with a fever Hank, as soon as you slept in the van."

Hank looked at his sheets. A fever? Hank couldn't remember the last time he even had a cold. And here was Deimos, telling him that his body had begun cooking like an oven.

What the hell was wrong with him?

"Hank?" Deimos broke Hank's trance.

Hank looked at him.

"Sanford and I are really starting to get worried with you. I remember you from the Anti-A.A.H.W. when you didn't seem to give a shit about anything. But now, it's as if I'm watching someone breaking into pieces. Is there anything we can do?"

Hank closed his eyes tightly and snapped them back open to wake himself up. "Deimos, I honestly wished I knew. Just give me my space."

"The last time we gave you 'space', you nearly died from some kind of freakish heart attack Hank. If there's anything fucking you over, me and Sanford will take care of it. Just tell us and we'll help you."

Hank rolled his eyes. He didn't need help. The help he needed was beyond Deimos and Sanford's reach. They couldn't just go and get him what he needs. It was something he had to deal with himself; something psychological.

Still, Sanford and Deimos would be annoyingly persistent into knowing why Hank was so out of place. So Hank had to find a believable excuse for the both of them to back off.

Hank sat for a few seconds, thinking of an idea. Finally, one hit him.

"Clowns." he suddenly said out loud.

Deimos became confused. "What?"

"Clowns. I have a fear of clowns, and they're haunting me."

"Clowns? Why the hell would you be afraid of those Hank?"

Hank looked at Deimos with the same "Are-You-Serious?" look Deimos used on him. "Tricky? Tricky THE CLOWN? The same psycho that killed me and brought me back to life like I was some kind of play-toy? Deimos, have you even been focusing on my life for the past 10 years!?"

Deimos shrugged. "That still doesn't explain why you break out with a fever and nearly have a stroke."

"It's just stress Deimos." Hank continued to lie.

"Stress? Now it's stress Hank? A minute ago, you said you had a phobia of clowns. And now you're stressed?"

"Look, I told you what's bothering me, so either you take it and swallow it down your throat, or you're not hearing anything else from me."

Deimos exhaled deeply, upset that Hank was keeping so many secrets from him. He stormed out of the room.

Hank sighed.

What a _fantastic_ way to start a day.

Hank got off his bed and went to the medicine cabinet. He pulled out an aspirin pill and placed it into cold water. Hank drank the whole glass and felt his headache slowly vanish into thin air.

Suddenly, the phone rang and Hank felt his head explode again.

"Ah fuck!" he yelled from the bathroom.

* * *

Sanford was in the kitchen, eating the breakfast he made for himself. After he heard the phone ringing, he picked it up.

"Hello?" he answered.

The voice on the other end responded to him. Sanford went to the bathroom and saw Hank with his head leaning on the wall.

"Jebus Hank! You look awful!" Sanford told him.

Hank slowly shifted his gaze to Sanford. "Wow Sanford, thanks. That really helps a man's self-esteem."

"I'm just trying to tell you the truth. Anyways, the phone is for you."

"Who's on?"

"Cathy."

Hank mumbled angrily to himself. He had to answer the phone, even though he felt like shit.

Sanford handed the phone to him and walked out back to the kitchen.

"Hello?"

"Hank? Hey, it's me, Cathy! I was wondering if you wanted to, you know, go out again?"

"Cathy? How the hell do you-"

"Know your number? Deimos told me."

Hank was irritated as soon as she told him this. Of course Deimos just had to "help" by giving their number to some girl he just met a month ago.

"So, um, are you available?"

Hank left his thoughts. "Listen Cathy, as much as I'd just _love_ to go outside for some fresh air, I don't feel very well right now."

"Oh. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Dead silence. Hank decided to break it with:

"I'll see if I'll get better later tonight. Then, maybe we'll see."

"That's great! Feel better Hank! I'll call you later to see if you're fine! Bye!" Cathy exclaimed.

"Wait, I-" But Hank never got to finish his sentence.

A click was heard, and Hank knew Cathy had hung up.

"-never got to know your number..." Hank finished.

He sighed and put the phone back in its place. Hank saw Deimos and Sanford run back onto their seats with their eyes focused on their meals again at the last second.

Hank looked at them quizzically. "What were you two doing?"

"Oh, us? We were eating of course!" Sanford stuttered.

Hank knew Sanford long enough to know whether he was lying or not.

"You're lying aren't you Sanford?"

Sanford felt a bead of sweat go down the side of his head. "N-no! Of course not! Why would I lie to you Hank?"

Hank pulled up his goggles and narrowed his eyes on him. Sanford tried to avoid facial contact with Hank as he tried to make his meal last, but was failing awfully. Hank put back his goggles on his eyes.

"Mmhmm. Okay. I believe you San."

Sanford felt his body lessen in tension.

"But-"

Now Sanford sat back upright.

"But," Hank continued, "Let's see what Deimos has to say about this."

Sanford quickly glanced at Deimos. Deimos had started to sweat bricks.

Hank walked over to Deimos. Hank put his hands on his own knees, put his mouth next to Deimos's left ear, and started to whisper in an uncomfortably pleasant tone: "Tell me Deimos. What were you and Sanford doing?"

Deimos said nothing as he started to eat his food more rapidly than before. The tension was way too obvious in his face and actions that Sanford was starting to get worried Hank would catch on.

Hank continued to whisper slowly, "Deimos, come on. You can tell me _anything_ you want. And I won't judge you for it. Don't worry, I got your back."

Deimos finished his meal and yelled out "Done!" He was about to run out of the kitchen until Hank grabbed him by the collar.

One of the major disadvantages of wearing a trench coat...

"No, you're not Deimos. You have something to tell me. And I can smell the fear in you. That, or you pissed yourself."

Then, Hank took off his goggles. "Come on Deimos. You don't want to make your idol _**UPSET, **_would you?"

Deimos suddenly shuddered and hollered,

"SANFORD AND I WERE SPYING ON YOUR CALL WITH CATHY!"

"Deimos!"

"I'm sorry Sanford! I just couldn't help it!"

Sanford and Deimos turned their heads slowly to Hank, and were horrified to see him smiling.

"Well, that wasn't hard to say, was it Deimos? Good job. If I had a biscuit, you'd get one." Hank answered.

Sanford and Deimos still stayed silent, knowing that it wasn't like Hank to pass off something so easily.

Hank began walking out of the kitchen slowly. Just as Sanford and Deimos thought he was gone, Hank popped his head back through the entrance.

"Oh, and by the way, if I find either of you spying on me or my stuff, I KILL YOU. BOTH. PERIOD. Got it?" Hank harshly ordered.

Both young men quickly nodded, knowing that Hank was a man of his word.

"Good. I'm going to leave you two now in peace." Hank said, back in that sarcastically nice tone.

Hank walked out of the house.

"Jebus, Hank is the only person on the planet that can scare me like _that_." Deimos frowned.

Sanford inhaled deeply, and exhaled as he washed their plates. "You just had to fall for it, Deimos..."

"Hey, he was freaking the crap out of me man! What else was I supposed to do?"

Sanford shook his head and sighed. "Either way, it's obvious Hank would've figured out we were sticking our heads in the wrong places I suppose."

Deimos crossed his arms. "Why the hell would he be so upset that we didn't tell him something he wants to know? He sure as fuck doesn't tell us what _**we**_ want to know about him, so he has no right to force us to say these kinds of things!"

Sanford finished washing the plates and put them on the rack. "Hank is in a different league compared to us. There's something clearly wrong with him right now, and it's definitely something that doesn't exist. The only person Hank J. Wimbleton is haunted by is Tricky The Clown. And he's been dead for almost 4 years now. Other than that, if it was something physical, Hank would've definitely dealt with it by now. There's something bothering him in his _**mind**_, Deimos. We can't help him through this because it's a man's own problem. Not something that needs counseling on. True, there are people out there who help others with these kinds of things, but there's no way we can persuade Hank to go to a therapist. Ever."

"Well, what _**are**_ we supposed to do then?" Deimos questioned.

"All we can do is hope that Hank will be able to pull himself together, and make sure he doesn't die on us." Sanford explained.

Deimos stood up to go and watch some television.

"You know Deimos,"

Deimos turned to Sanford.

"...I think you were right about one thing: Hank needs a woman. Maybe he can't open up to us because we're all men. But maybe somebody from the opposite sex can help."

"That's right, but there's only one woman that I can think of right now that can do what has to be done. And you already know who she is." Deimos agreed.

Sanford nodded. "Cathy."

* * *

Hank walked outside with his hands in his pockets. The fresh air was relaxing, but he already had enough of it. Hank did get the space he wanted, but all this thinking about his own life only made him either depressed or sicker than before.

He just wanted to be alone for the rest of the day. In fact, he wouldn't really mind living alone. It's way better than having to listen to other people yelling around you for random shit. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen. Sanford and Deimos had gotten too attached to him from the past 3 years, and he had to go see Cathy later tonight because his headache had disappeared almost as soon as it came.

Hank sighed. He did have to admit though, he was treating Sanford and Deimos like crap lately, and they seemed to be showing symptoms of his actions. Hank walked down the street and looked at the displays of shops he passed by. He stopped at one particular place. Something had caught his eye.

'I guess this outta' make up for what I did to Deimos.' he thought as he walked in.

* * *

Deimos flipped through channel after channel, only to find either commercials or shows that had no relevance to his life come up. He sighed. At this point, he would've gone to his computer and surf the net. Besides, the Internet never grows old since there are always new things popping up from new people.

Deimos threw the remote on the couch where he accidently hit Sanford (who was reading his book again).

"Ah! The fuck was that for Deimos!?" Sanford yelled.

Deimos sighed. "Sorry. I'm just bored, that's all."

Sanford rolled his eyes. "Deimos, you need to find a hobby other than using a computer 24/7. I'm just shocked that you're not wearing glasses yet."

"Yeah, but I guess I never did need those though. Could be one of those benefits the Higher Powers gave me when I came back to life."

Sanford closed his book. "Deimos, you have a really unhealthy lifestyle. In fact, I'd say you'd be hopeless without me or Hank."

Deimos looked at him, puzzled. "What'cha mean by that?"

"Well, for starters," Sanford said as he stood up and picked up the ashtray on the table. "you smoke. A LOT."

Deimos shrugged. "So what if I do? Lots of people do it!"

"Deimos, how many people do you know who smoke live long, fulfilling lives?"

"There are people out there who do you know!" Deimos defended.

"Yeah, but not people who smoke almost a whole pack a day!" Sanford continued.

Deimos sat silent, but made another attempt to keep his smoking habit. "Listen Sanford, I don't need to worry about that kind of stuff! I've never had a problem with cancer or any kind of shit like that. In fact, after I became a smoker, I didn't feel any different from when I wasn't smoking! Like I said, that's one of the benefits the Higher Powers gave me!"

"Yeah, well congrats buddy. But you know, not all of us are immune to those fucking death sticks of yours. Your room smells like cigarettes, your clothes smell like cigarettes, and even YOU smell like cigarettes man! That's why Hank has to go outside so much; just to escape the goddamn stench!"

Deimos crossed his arms and looked away. "I'm not stopping and that's that."

Sanford sighed. "That's not all I have to say you know. All you do is use the computer all day. I mean, it's awesome and all that you can do tons of crap with a laptop, but I've rarely ever seen you go outside. In fact, the last time I can remember you leaving the house for some fresh air was when you first met Augustus, and that was almost a month ago!"

Deimos twisted the corner of his mouth. "Jebus, man! Stop pestering so much all the time! You're acting just like that Sanford I remembered from the Anti-A.A.H.W. who couldn't even calm down after a joke!"

Sanford glared at him. "Oh really?"

"Yeah!"

"Give me one good example."

"Remember that time we went to bring back Hank and I died?"

"How can I not? That was our final assignment."

"Well, I sure as hell remember when I put on that A.T.P. agent's mask and you got freaking pissed at me. You barely even talked to me for the rest of the mission!"

"Deimos, that was not a joke! I was about to shoot you if I hadn't recognized that retarded voice from anywhere! And I'm pretty sure the Higher Powers wouldn't be happy if they found out that I killed my own partner!"

Deimos changed the subject back to their original argument. "Sanford, I am NOT changing who I am, and that's that. What you're telling me isn't to get a hobby! It's to completely change your whole life!"

"Maybe that's what you need! A makeover on your life Deimos! Like I said, it's not natural for somebody to sit all alone in his house finishing pack after pack of smokes and in a dark room using his computer!"

"If you can't accept what I do, then you don't accept who I am Sanford."

Sanford exhaled deeply. "Look, all I'm trying to do is help Deimos."

"Yeah? Well you don't see me trying to change your life Sanford. After all, I think you're cool the way you are, even if you can be a dick sometimes, so I don't honestly know why you can't think of me as the same."

This time, Sanford was the one to sit quietly. Although he was touched by what Deimos said, he knew Deimos was right.

Deimos pulled out a cigarette and a lighter.

"Deimos."

Deimos lit his smoke. "What?"

"I'm sorry. You were right."

Deimos looked at Sanford, shocked. That was the first time Sanford had admitted Deimos was right in an argument.

"It's okay Sanford. I forgive you."

"Deimos?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you just do me one last favor?"

"What?"

"Smoke OUTSIDE the house!"

Deimos sighed. "Fine."

Deimos stood up to walk out of the house, but just as he was about to turn the knob, Hank had opened the door from the other side, hitting Deimos in the head. Sanford sweat-dropped as he saw Deimos fall backwards, clutching his bruised forehead.

"FUCK!" he yelled.

Hank walked in and saw Deimos rolling on the floor in pain and Sanford watching him curse uncontrollably.

"Am I in the middle of something or...?" Hank trailed off.

"Oh no Hank. It's fine. You just smacked the door into Deimos's head. Normal crap." Sanford simply stated.

Deimos stopped cursing and looked up to Hank. "Well?"

"Well what?" Hank questioned.

"Aren't you going to say **sorry**?" Deimos stretched out.

Hank smirked. "I think I have something better than any 'sorry' can do."

Sanford and Deimos looked at Hank with curiosity. Hank threw the white plastic bag he was carrying to Deimos. Deimos fell back and his cigarette popped out of his mouth as he felt the heavy load being thrown on him.

"Is this for me?" he asked Hank.

"No Deimos. I just felt like throwing a plastic bag with something inside it to you." Hank sarcastically replied.

Deimos looked back at the bag on his lap. He opened it and gasped at what he saw.

"Hank! You didn't!" Deimos exclaimed in excitement.

"Well, it's on your lap, so apparently I did Deimos." Hank said as he picked up the unfinished cigarette Deimos had dropped and threw it out in the trash before it would burn down the house. Deimos didn't mind as he was too focused on what Hank had bought him.

Sanford went to Deimos to see what was inside the bag. He face-palmed himself as he realized what it was:

A brand new laptop.

Deimos knew it was the newest version that had come out in stores. He never had the chance to go out and buy it since he was busy thinking about other things. Although it wasn't a sufficient replacement for his supercomputer, he took it with open arms. After all, when boredom strikes hard, anything can be fun to a person.

Deimos turned to Sanford and looked at him pleadingly. Sanford sighed.

"Go ahead." he told him.

Deimos grinned wildly and ran to his room to try out his new device. Hank saw Sanford's reactions and went over to him.

"What's the matter?" he asked him.

"I just had a talk with Deimos about how he should stay away from smokes and computers for a while and enjoy life. But apparently, my hopes of him actually having a social life went flushing down the toilet when you brought that thing back home."

Hank chuckled. "Sanford, you and I both know that there's no changing that kid. So don't bother him."

Hank walked away and left Sanford sitting near the front door. Deimos was screaming excitedly in his room like a schoolgirl as he saw his gift wasn't a hoax.

Sanford banged his head into the wall.

And that was just an average day in their house...

* * *

A/N: Another gag chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, because the next chapter is going to focus on Hank and Cathy's relationship like a promised from the last chapter. However, I watched the stats of my story and noticed that some chapters had more views than other chapters that came before them.

I suggest to those of you not reading this story in proper order this: DO NOT SKIP CHAPTERS. That will ruin great surprises to some of you, and this fanfiction won't seem interesting to read because you already know what comes next.

Anyways, I want to thank you all for following this story. I'm trying to skip time instead of going day-by-day for each and every chapter. The problem, however, is that I don't know if people would be okay with the fact that I am skipping a lot of Madness Combat action. This story has to last for a while, and I can't stop just at 20 chapters. I would say, at the very least, 32 chapters, since it makes this feel more worthwhile.

Reviews would be appreciated, and I will update the story A.S.A.P. Good night, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Final Salvation.


	16. Killer Dancing and a Shocking Revelation

Chapter 16: Killer Dancing and a Shocking Revelation

* * *

Hank was walking over to the park again. Cathy had called and he had already told her he was coming. She was waiting for him in their classic meeting point, and waved when she saw his face.

Hank sighed. Why was he doing this? If it hadn't been for Cathy telling him her deepest, personal secrets, he wouldn't be here right now. Also, Sanford and Deimos had forced him to go, regardless of the fact that he was tired.

Hank walked up to her. "Sorry I'm late. Like I said, I wasn't feeling my best today." he apologized.

She shrugged. "It's fine. At least you showed up."

Hank nodded. He began looking at the trees around him. "Where do you want to go this time?"

Cathy grinned. "I was thinking somewhere fun! Somewhere we can both enjoy ourselves!"

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

"I was thinking that since it's a bit late at night, we could go to a club!" she answered.

A club.

Oh shit.

Hank was all against the idea as soon as she had said it. But then, he noticed how desperate she was. Cathy was doing her best to keep him interested, and knew that he didn't seem to be excited about anything in particular. This was why Hank J. Wimbleton doesn't go on dates: the only thing that he wanted to do was to shoot some people running around Nevada. And usually, romantic dates don't include gunfire and bleeding corpses.

Hank forced himself to give into her. "Okay Cathy. If you think that'll be worth the rest of the day."

She grinned. "Great! Club M it is then!"

Hank's eyes widened. Things had just gone from "Crap..." to "Oh fuck no!" in a matter of 10 seconds.

"Club M? THE Club M?"

"Yeah Hank! It's one of the biggest and coolest clubs in Nevada! What's the matter? You look pale! Are you sick again?"

Hank swallowed loudly. "Cathy, you don't have any idea what happened to me there when I went to go and fetch for Sanford and Deimos, do you?"

Cathy shook her head. "No, but that sounds pretty interesting! Tell me about it when we get there!" she began quickly walking to their destination.

Hank face-palmed himself. She doesn't get it does she...

* * *

Hank explained to Cathy each and every part of the adventure he had hauling Deimos and Sanford back home. She laughed as Hank made impressions of the two of them being and talking drunk. Eventually, when he told her the part where he had gotten Sanford's meal all over him as barf, she cringed at the thought of it. Hank found himself enjoying the fact that he was telling another person (aside from Sanford or Deimos) about his experiences in life. It was strangely calming and fun to talk about memories to the person listening to you, who was enjoying it as well.

Cathy stopped walking.

"We're here!" she told Hank who had just finished his story.

Hank looked in front of him and was surprised to find himself right in front of Club M. The club had looked almost the same as it was when Hank came for Sanford and Deimos, only that some of the lights were replaced and decorations were hung to celebrate the seasonal holiday.

Hank watched Cathy walk through the front door and quickly come back out after realizing Hank was still standing outside.

"Hank? Are you coming or not? I didn't bring you here to stare at the colored sign you know!" Cathy joked.

Hank made a low grunt to himself. He felt like a little child not wanting to take his booster shot. Hank regretted coming back to Club M after the drunken incident he had almost a month ago. Still, there was no other option. They had walked all the way here, so it was either he would suck it up and go in or he would ditch Cathy right then and there. Of course, after Sanford's lesson on "manners", that would be the retarded thing to do in a situation like this.

And so, Hank went with his first choice.

"Ah fuck it." he told himself as he followed Cathy inside.

Cathy grabbed his hand and ran through the entrance. She found a table for two, and led him there. Cathy sat down while Hank went to go get the both of them drinks. He went back to his chair as he saw that his order would come to him since the place was overflowing with customers.

Cathy waited for him to sit. When he did, she made a light smile. Cathy was always smiling ever since Hank had gone out with her, while Hank would look at her emotionlessly most of the time. It was as if they were two opposite forces; positive and negative.

Hank said nothing to her as his eyes began scanning the environment around him. He was feeling that same, unsettling feeling that had first struck him in Langstone Bar. Something wasn't right here.

Now he was certain he was being watched by somebody.

"Hank?"

Hank sat back upright as he realized he was on a date, not a covert mission.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"This might be a bit personal for you, but remember on our first "meeting" that I opened my childhood out to you?"

Hank nodded.

"Well, can you do the same for me? If it's not too much trouble?"

Hank frowned. He didn't want to look back at his life before he joined the Anti-A.A.H.W. In fact, the Higher Powers had told him to completely forget that he was even ever a child.

But, the memories were too vivid and powerful to erase.

"Cathy." he started.

She focused all her attention to him and nodded.

"Maybe another day. Just not now." Hank replied.

Cathy sighed in disappointment. She knew Hank would feel uncomfortable talking about the life he had before the killer everybody in Nevada knows as "Hank J. Wimbleton" had rose. But still, she should be grateful enough that Hank had even bothered dating her.

"Okay Hank. I understand you're not ready to go that far yet." Cathy finished.

Hank nodded again. That was one good thing about Cathy that he could respect: she wasn't a total snob and was able to give men the privacy they needed. Hank didn't hide his past from Cathy not because he was ashamed of it or he didn't trust her enough. It's just that he was stunned that somebody had asked him that kind of question. Not even Sanford and Deimos had bothered to hear about the Hank J. Wimbleton before all the madness. All people would ask from him were inquiries such as: "How can you sleep at night knowing that you killed almost 500 men?" or "Don't you at least feel guilty about your mark on life?". Those things have been asked so many times that to Hank, they were cliché to hear.

But Cathy seems to be different from the others in Nevada. It was strange, but Hank felt as if he could actually communicate with this woman and not regret doing so.

Before Hank could keep thinking about this, a waiter had come over to him and gave him a bottle and a glass while Cathy took her ginger ale. Cathy says she doesn't drink alcohol, so Hank was glad he didn't have to worry about dragging another drunk back home this time.

Hank looked at his bottle, puzzled. He just asked for a simple glass of beer, but instead, he's given a bottle of the stuff with a small glass.

Cathy saw his confusion and started to wonder herself about why Hank had gotten something completely different from what he ordered.

"What the hell is this?" Hank questioned.

"I dunno. Could be some kind of new brand out there." Cathy tried explaining.

Hank looked at his small glass. "Well I don't know why they gave me this then. Nobody gets drunk over 3 tablespoons of alcohol."

"Maybe the bartender made a mistake and gave you the glass by accident." Cathy suggested.

Hank looked at Cathy who was staring at the bottle. He shrugged and realized she was probably right.

"Well, there's only one way to find out." he said as he pulled down his mask and started chugging down his mysterious beverage. Cathy watched him do so, a bit worried that he could be drinking poison. Suddenly, Hank turned his face away from Cathy and spat the liquids he hadn't sent down his throat to the floor.

"What the fuck!? That is NOT beer! It tasted like shit!" he yelled out.

Cathy looked at the bottle a bit more closely now. It was titled "The Worm". She pointed this out to him and he face-palmed himself.

"God damn it...leave it to an inexperienced, young waiter, to give me crap I never asked for." he muttered. Hank then called the waiter and told him he had made a mistake with the drink he gave him.

"I'm so sorry sir! We've seemed to have mixed up your order with another customer's!" he apologized frantically.

"Listen, all I want is my drink, okay? I don't give a shit if you put it in a plastic cup. All I want is to get what I ordered. What the hell is this stuff anyways?" Hank asked him as he handed the waiter the bottle.

The waiter looked at the bottle and his eyes widened when he realized half of the contents in it were gone. "Did you ...did you drink all this?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Hank responded.

"Sir, this is a **very** strong alcoholic beverage. We don't give customers this kind of drink for individual consumption. This whole bottle was made for about 10 people."

Hank's eyes widened as well as Cathy's. Apparently, Hank had just drunk 5 people's worth of alcohol into his stomach.

"I suggest that you return home right away sir. Otherwise, all hell is going to break loose."

"All hell? What do you mean by that!?" Hank demanded him for answers as he grabbed his collar. The waiter showed fear in his eyes as he knew that Hank J. Wimbleton was NOT gentle with people when he was infuriated.

"Hank! Stop! There's nothing we can do now but listen to him! Let's get going before whatever 'hell breaks loose' happens!" Cathy reasoned.

Hank looked at her, then the waiter, and then back to her. He sighed.

"Fine. Let's go." he murmured.

But just as they stood up, Hank felt himself stumble.

"Hank! Are you alright?" Cathy worriedly questioned as she helped him back up.

Hank glanced at her. He seemed to be intoxicated. **Very** intoxicated.

Suddenly, Hank raised up his hands and began squeezing her cheeks. Cathy stared at him with wide eyes as he did so.

"Ha...ha...Cathy...you look like...a muffin!" he said dizzily.

"Oh boy..." the waiter said. He ran off and quickly told the manager that he was leaving before somebody would figure out he was to blame for what catastrophe was about to be unleashed in the club.

Cathy immediately knew the alcohol was taking effect. "Let's go Hank. You're drunk."

"No!" Hank shouted as he shoved her away. Cathy shrieked as she fell on the floor. More and more people began noticing his outburst.

"Hank...this is not good! Too many people are watching you!" Cathy whispered to him.

"Who gives a fffffffuck?" he told her as he nearly collapses on the table, but stands back up. "These bitches don't know how to partay!"

Some of the customers growled at what he announced.

"Oh yeah? Well you're one to talk old man! Show us what you got under those pajamas!" one of them yelled.

Cathy hid her face in embarrassment as Hank shakily looked at the crowd of people glaring at him.

"Alllrighty then! I will!" Hank burst out in a country-like accent. "But I can't dance to this pussy-ass music! Yo! Deejayyy! You gotta crank that bitch up if you wanna see some moves!"

The DJ stopped playing his tune. He thought for a while and he remembered the perfect song. He put on the track from the Madness Combat 4 flash movie.

"Yeahhh baby! That's what I'm talking 'bout mothafuckahs!" Hank hollered. Some of the customers had begun enjoying Hank's presence as he seemed to liven up the party.

"Check it bitchez! This is how you dance! Hank J. Wimbetooon Style!" Hank yelled as he started to break-dance on the dance floor.

Some of the customers gasped as they saw how talented Hank was even as he was wasted. Hank was pulling out professional moves that you would see online! Even Cathy was gaping at the spectacle Hank was showing off. Although she knew it was wrong, Cathy smirked, pulled out her phone, and started to record the dancing prodigy she proudly called her date. A few other people had done what she did as they began cheering Hank's name out. Just like Sanford told Deimos in Chapter 2, nobody seemed to give a damn that they were watching a killer pull out his funky side.

They were all enjoying the fact that Hank J. Wimbleton was actually break-dancing right in front of them!

Some of the men had gotten excited and joined Hank. They couldn't mimic his moves perfectly, but they were good enough. The crowd hollered with laughter and cheers as Hank was the life of the party.

"Fuck yeah! That's how I roll!" They heard Hank say.

Cathy kept laughing and rooting on with everybody else. She was on the verge of tears as she couldn't believe what she was seeing! Everything was on her cell, so she was enjoying every last minute of it. Suddenly, she saw her phone ring and answered.

"He-hello?" she spoke, still out of breath from going into hysterics.

"Cathy! Do you know where that bastard Hank is? It's been THREE hours since he was gone!" Deimos shouted.

"Deimos...you have to see this...Hank's drunk! And he's the main dancer in the club!" Cathy laughed.

Silence between their call.

"What?" Deimos said in disbelief.

"You heard me! Hank's break-dancing!" Cathy repeated.

More silence. She heard Deimos call Sanford from another room.

"Sanford!"

"What do you want Deimos?"

"You know what Hank's doing!?"

"How the fuck am I supposed to know that!?"

"Well Hank's break-dancing at a club!"

"WHAT! YOU'RE FUCKING WITH ME NOW AREN'T YOU DEIMOS!?"

"I swear to God it's true!"

Deimos went back to Cathy who paid no attention to their conversation as she continued to watch Hank. "Cathy, where the hell are you two?"

"Club M!"

"Club M!? Are you serious!? How the fuck did you manage to get Hank to go back **there**!?"

Cathy shrugged. "He just did."

"Oh sweet Jebus...alright we're getting there. Just make sure Hank doesn't do anything stupid while you two wait, okay!" Deimos dictated.

"Sure thing Deimos!" Cathy finished as she cut off the call. She watched Hank finish dancing and stumble towards her. The other men, who had gotten the hang of Hank's dance groove, took over the spotlight as he began walking out of the crowd. They all applauded and cheered for him.

Cathy took a step back as Hank tripped and fell on her. The smell of sweat and alcohol was clear in the atmosphere near him, but Cathy held her breath and tried to carry him outside for air.

* * *

"Heyy babe! You liked them moves I pulled out?" Hank told her.

Cathy blushed at the fact he called her that, but remembered he was still drunk. She continued to focus on him with her phone recording. "Yeah Hank, that was awesome!"

"Glad you luved it girl!" he poked at her cheek with a finger.

"Come on Hank, we gotta wait here for Sanford and Deimos."

"Okay! Luvv yuu Casey!" Hank leaned on her.

"Cathy." she corrected him as she put away her phone.

"Whatever sistah!"

Soon after he said that, Sanford and Deimos had pulled up in front of them. Sanford ran over to Cathy and took Hank onto his shoulders. Deimos couldn't help but pull out his own phone and take pictures of Hank in this state.

"DEIMOS!" Sanford yelled.

Deimos rolled his eyes. "Whaaaaat?"

"This is **not** the time for taking pictures you ass! Help me get Hank into the car!"

Deimos sighed and carried the man with Sanford into the back seat. Cathy helped put a seatbelt on Hank and sat next to him. Hank's head was drooping since he just fell into unconsciousness. Sanford drove off as Cathy pulled down Hank's mask over his mouth to give him some fresh air, and Deimos was fiddling with the images he just shot. Sanford grabbed his phone and deleted all his photos while he kept his eyes on the road.

"Hey! Give it back!" Deimos shouted.

Sanford threw the phone back to Deimos. Deimos saw all his precious evidence disappear.

"Sanford you bitch! That was my only chance of getting Hank drunk like that!"

"That's what you get for throwing the remote controller at me back at home." Sanford said.

Deimos sulked in his chair. Sanford couldn't get over ANYTHING people threw at him. But in the back of Deimos's head, he was grinning to himself, although his face didn't show it. Deimos had sent his pictures to his laptop via e-mail in case if something like this happened, so everything was still there.

"Sucker..." Deimos smirked.

"What was that Deimos?"

"N-nothing dude!"

* * *

They parked in their garage again. Sanford picked up Hank and Deimos started talking to Cathy.

"I can't believe how freakin' lucky you are! You actually saw Hank break-dancing! Drunk!"

Cathy grinned evilly. "That's not all." she told him as she showed Deimos the video footage she recorded to her cell phone.

Deimos's eyes widened. "No way!"

"Yep! Got it all on tape!" she proudly stated.

"You've got to send that to me! Please!" Deimos begged.

She nodded. "Sure!"

Deimos beamed wildly. Suddenly, he heard something that sounded a lot like a person throwing up.

Deimos and Cathy turned around to see a barf-covered Sanford drop Hank to the ground and curse. "No fucking way Hank! These were brand new!"

Cathy and Deimos started laughing wildly. Hank had gotten his revenge on Sanford for what he did in Chapter 3.

"Hey, things could've gone a lot more worse you know!" Deimos said.

"Ha ha! Very funny asshole! How can things POSSIBLY get any worse for me than THIS?" Sanford asked with sarcasm.

Deimos grinned. "Watch."

Deimos pulled out his phone, snapped a picture of Sanford, and ran to his room before Sanford could smash his cell.

"DEIMOS! YOU GET BACK OUT HERE YOU FUCKER!" Sanford hollered. He tried opening his door, but Deimos had locked it shut and was working on uploading the file to his computer.

'That's for my shoulder Sanford!' Deimos thought as he smiled.

* * *

Cathy went to the bathroom to get a wet towel and gave it to Sanford.

"Fuck...thanks Cathy. At least you're not being a bitch." he told her as he wiped himself and his clothes.

Cathy nodded. "You better go take a shower though when you get Hank back in bed."

"Yeah, yeah, you don't have to tell me twice..."

Cathy grinned.

* * *

Meanwhile, Chief Harley and a group of men had driven off to Dead Nevada for a large-scale domestic violence call. The gang leader of the Order of the Grey Blood had already told them his gang's location as well as more crucial information.

Although the police knew that the gang would quickly disperse before they could arrive, they had no choice but to go and end the frequent violence there. The streets however, were strangely quiet, and they were met with no opposition.

As they made the turn around the corner, the policemen's' eyes widened at a sight that would be scarred in their heads forever.

Chief Harley had come out of his squad car, disbelieving his eyes. But sure enough, what he saw was real.

"Good God Almighty..." he said in a low-voice. The Chief had quickly ordered one of his men to call Hank, Sanford, and Deimos.

They had to see this.

* * *

A/N: Well, we have apparently reached the half-way point of this story. Seems short huh? It could probably be because I update so quickly, but don't worry. There's more where this is coming from, and the suspense will blow your minds.

Also, it's now safe to say that Final Salvation has reached a word count as long as a novel (from most sources). With a word count of about 48 to 49 thousand in 16 chapters! Fuck yeah I'm proud! 3,000 words per chapter is totally kick-ass!

Special thanks to Kagami (my second reviewer). He inspired me to write more in a short amount of time, although I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't respond back to him since he wasn't using an account. So a shout-out to him: I'll be updating practically daily, so you don't need to worry about frequency.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and believe me, this DOES tie into the original plot. I'll be working on Chapter 17 right after I upload this, so you all keep your eyes open. We've reached 3,500 words this time which means I'm forced to end this part here.

Thanks 4 reading.

Spirit9871 is out.


	17. You've Got Threat Mail!

Chapter 17: You've Got Threat Mail

* * *

Sanford washed himself and came out of the bathroom with a towel on his waist. He sees Cathy watching Hank and making sure he wouldn't die in his sleep; just like Sanford had told her about the bizarre, uncontrollable shaking incident Hank had gone through.

Sanford looked outside the window. It was raining, hard, as if there was a huge storm brewing near them. He gave Cathy permission to stay at their household for the night because of it. Cathy had nowhere to sleep since they definitely weren't expecting guests sleeping the night out at their home. There was no way they would let Cathy sleep on the couch, so Sanford had no choice but to give her his bed as he would sleep in the living room instead.

Sanford sighed and went to check on Deimos, who was probably working on his laptop.

"Deimos?" Sanford called as he put his ear to the door.

Deimos said nothing back. This annoyed Sanford greatly as he went to his own room to wear some clothes. When he was done, he walked out of his room to the hallway.

Sanford was in front of Deimos's door again. "Deimos, you can't stay in there forever. Either I'm calling the S.W.A.T. team to go in and force you out, or I'll just kick your door down." Sanford reasoned.

Deimos was still silent in his room.

"I'm not kidding Deimos. You're starting to piss me off."

Sanford heard shuffling behind Deimos's door. Deimos opened it slightly and stuck his head out.

"You promise you won't kill me if I come out Sanford? Because I can always crawl out of my window and sneak back in you know." Deimos asked.

Sanford rolled his eyes. "Sure, you runt."

Deimos stared at Sanford, looking for any threatening signs from his face. Finally mustering the courage, Deimos opened the door. Just as he did, Sanford punched him in the stomach.

Deimos coughed as he fell on his knees. "What the fuck Sanford!? You promised you wouldn't attack me if I come out!"

"Nope. I promised that I wouldn't _**kill**_ you if you came out." Sanford defended.

Deimos gritted his teeth as he realized he had just been duped. "Sanford, you knew damn well what I meant!"

Sanford rose up a hand. "You should be grateful I didn't burst in there and break your limbs."

Deimos stood up quickly and was about to counter Sanford's statement, but Sanford merely walked away before Deimos could say anything. Deimos knew Sanford was right. If Deimos was to engage in hand-to-hand combat with him, he'd be pulverized.

"I'm going to get back at you Sanford. You better watch your ass." Deimos threatened.

Sanford chuckled. "Good luck with that."

Deimos huffed out in anger and stormed away from him. He went to see Hank, and nearly jumped out of his clothes to see Cathy right next to him.

"Cathy? What are you still doing here?" he questioned.

Cathy stood up from Hank's bed. "Sanford told me I could stay for the night because the storm's pretty bad."

Deimos looked out Hank's window and sure enough, he saw the streets flooded with water as the rain continued to fall without any signs of stopping.

"Okay. Just don't get any ideas while you're here." Deimos teased.

She looked at him with her eyebrows raised and a small grin on her face. "Did you just flirt with me Deimos?"

Deimos stared at her wide-eyed and felt his cheeks go slightly red. "N-no! I was just joking around! Nothing else! Really!"

Cathy continued to look at him. She sat back next to Hank and her face seemed solemn again.

Deimos sighed as he felt the blood rush away from his face, restoring his natural color. He knew that this was Hank's girl. Not his. Regardless of how cute she looked.

He turned to see a peacefully sleeping Hank and Cathy brushing some hair coming out of his bandana away from his red goggles.

"Why do you care about him so much?" he asked her.

Cathy kept staring at Hank's covered face. She shook her head.

"I don't know. I've never thought about dating when I was young. It was just a waste of time to me. But Hank...I just don't know. It's funny. Every time I talk to him, I feel relieved and glad there's somebody who would listen to me. I mean, sure I have my mother and my other friends. But my mother's depressed, and my friends don't really understand what it means to have a good father and lose him in a blink of an eye."

Deimos continued to listen.

"But still, Hank seemed to be able to connect with me, in a sense. I found out that he does have a heart even after all the horrible things he's gone through. Maybe he just needs to be loved. After all, we're all human, no matter what we say or do. We still feel the impacts life makes on us, just like every person we meet or talk to. I guess, whenever I look at Hank, I don't realize how good I had it, and still how good I've got it now. Maybe all Hank needs is just a second chance in life. Regardless of all the pain he went through before. And I want to try to be that person to give him that second chance." Cathy finished explaining.

Deimos looked down at the floor under his feet. To be loved? Deimos just thought if Hank had made human contact with a woman for once in his life, he could finally feel as if he had fulfilled his life. But to the point of loving someone? It just seemed impossible for Hank to love someone.

After all, how can you love someone if you've never been loved yourself?

Deimos knew Hank was in good hands for now, and walked out. As he made a turn around the corner, he was shocked to see Sanford leaning on the wall with one leg, his eyes closed, and his arms crossed.

"Deimos, you really have a big mouth don't you?" Sanford told him, still in his position.

"Huh?" Deimos returned out of confusion.

"Just leave the two of them alone. You've done your part, so let Hank do his. We've pushed him far enough." Sanford instructed.

"But Sanford, what if things don't work out? What if Hank will never be able to experience true happiness for once in his life?"

Sanford opened his eyes and gazed at him. "If Hank doesn't want her, then fine. He chose the road he wants to walk on. If he chooses to leave behind happiness and move on, it's okay. Hank had lived about 30 years without love, and he's still going strong. Deimos, you're a good friend for caring so much, but a relationship built over a third wheel doesn't last long if that wheel is taken away from the equation."

Deimos looked away. He wanted Hank to enjoy the time he had left on this planet. But to enjoy life, you had to experience some of the most elementary of things.

Love was one of them.

Deimos realized there was no longer any sufficient reason for why he should continue his argument with Sanford. He sighed in defeat as he tried to change the subject.

"Alright Sanford, you win. I'll back off. What now?"

Sanford got off the wall and stood in front of Deimos face-to-face. "Call Chief Harley."

"What? Why?"

"Because we need to find something to do rather than bicker all night about Hank."

Deimos nodded. He dialed Chief Harley's number, but realized that his call wouldn't go through.

"Shit." Deimos muttered.

"What's wrong?" Sanford asked.

"I'm not getting any signal. The telephone pole nearby must've collapsed or something."

Sanford twisted the corner of his mouth. "Well, I guess we have no choice but to wait until this damn storm passes, don't we?"

Deimos groaned. "Aw man...I don't have anything to do..."

"What! You have a fucking computer to play around with! _**I**_ don't have anything to do you ungrateful brat!" Sanford spat.

"Then why don't you just go and get a computer for yourself, oh Great Sanford the Wise Jackass?" Deimos mocked.

Sanford shrugged. "Computers are your thing. Not mine. I have a life you know."

Deimos glared at Sanford, catching on quickly to what he was secretly implying in his sentence. Sanford went to the kitchen to make some dinner while Deimos went back into his room.

"That bastard doesn't know what he's talking about..." he muttered to himself as he turned on his laptop.

* * *

Chief Harley cursed himself as he saw that the storm had knocked out any service he could use to call Hank, Sanford, or Deimos. He was sitting in his squad car alone trying again and again to call the trio, but had failed each time.

He sighed. There was no other option but to call for them the next day. Harley went outside to see the whole dreadful scenery again.

Bodies. Dead bodies everywhere. About 80 in total. The irony of it all was that each and every single one of them were all Grey Blood gangster corpses. There were clear bullet impacts made in their heads, chests, and abdominal areas. Blood and body parts were scattered everywhere as the streets were drenched in red from the rain and blood mixing together. It looked as if a battle from a warzone had just taken place.

Suddenly, the Chief heard one of his men call him.

"Sir! We've found one that's alive!" the officer yelled.

Harley ran towards the voice and sure enough, found a young man bleeding and breathing heavily. Harley turned him on his back and saw he was staring at his face with wide eyes. The gangster shielded himself with his arms.

"No! Please don't kill me! I'll do anything you want! Just please! Let me live!" he shouted in agony.

"Listen kid, we don't know what the hell happened here, but we're not with whoever did this. You're talking to the Nevada Police Force." Harley said, trying to calm him down.

When the gangster heard the name, he felt his breathing slow down, but he was still scared out of his wits.

"Oh God...please, tell me you're not lying..." he said shakily, gasping for air.

Harley nodded.

As soon as the man saw this, he started sobbing. "They were everywhere man! We didn't know that they were going to strike! They just came out of nowhere and killed all of us! The ones that were still alive...they tortured them and laughed..."

"Who did this?" Harley continued to ask.

"I-I don't know. It was so dark...all I could hear was the screaming and yelling of my friends dying right next to me. I-"

He coughed up blood and went silent. Harley realized he's been shot in the chest. The poor boy was traumatized and dying.

"Get this kid to the hospital! We can't lose him!" Harley ordered.

An officer came and picked him up. They all ran to their squad cars and turned on their sirens as they sped off to the local hospital.

* * *

Hank woke up. It was 9 in the morning.

He walked out of his bed and smelled breakfast cooking.

'Deimos or Sanford must be making some grub...' he groggily thought to himself as he went for another aspirin.

Hank swallowed the pills dry and walked out to the front of the house, treading through mud from yesterday's gigantic rainfall, to the mailbox. The red handle on the side was set upwards, which meant there was something inside.

Hank checked the mail. He went through them one by one as he saw there was nothing but junk. Then, he found the weekly check the Higher Powers had sent them. Hank put that in his pocket to deposit into the bank later, until he found a strange, white envelope. It wasn't marked with a return address, which means whoever had sent it didn't want to be identified.

Hank opened it and found a piece of paper with cut-outs of letters from magazines. They were arranged in a way to make words. As Hank squinted his eyes to read out the whole text, he finally realized what it said:

{YoUrE fRIEnDs ARe cLoSE, BUt YOuRe eNeMieS ArE CLoSeR...}

"Hank?"

Hank jumped at the sudden voice behind his back. He turned around and relaxed as he realized Cathy was the one who scared him.

"Jebus...Cathy. It was just you..."

"Yeah, I just wanted to tell you that breakfast is ready."

"Breakfast? You were cooking breakfast? Where's Sanford and Deimos?"

"Oh them? They went out to go buy some stuff like at the mall or something. I wanted to go too, but I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Hank chuckled. "Cathy, you don't need to worry about me so much. I can take care of myself you know."

"But Deimos told me about that night where you-"

"Cathy." Hank interrupted as he firmly grasped her shoulders. "I'm fine. That was just a weird coincidence."

Cathy sighed. "Okay Hank, if you say so."

She noticed he had something behind his back.

"What's that you got there?" she pointed out.

Hank realized she was referring to the mail he was holding. He quickly shuffled it to the back of his mail pile and put the junk mail on top.

"This?" Hank said as he waved it near her face. "It's just some junk mail. Nothing special."

Cathy nodded. Hank saw some black smoke billow from the house.

"Is that normal?" Hank pointed behind her.

Cathy turned around and her eyes widened. "Ah! No! I forgot all about the eggs!"

Cathy began running back into the house. Hank sighed.

Just as clumsy as Sanford and Deimos...

But before Hank could follow her, something disturbing popped up in the back of his head:

Hank couldn't sense Cathy coming towards him. That was odd because if she was just simply walking, then he would've felt her presence.

But it was as if she was sneaking up behind him...

Hank held that thought in his head as he went back. So many strange things were going around him that it felt as if the Improbability Drives were functioning again. All this stressing over things isn't healthy for him. Especially now in his near-madness state when it comes to sleeping.

Hank heard tires skid the road, as he saw Sanford and Deimos drive back next to him. Deimos jumped out of his seat and ran to Hank as Sanford went to park the car in the garage.

"Hey Hank! How did ya' sleep?" Deimos asked.

"It was a pretty quiet night, so no worries there." Hank assured him.

"Good to hear." Deimos answered back.

They stared at each other for a couple of seconds, but then Deimos burst out laughing on the ground.

"What's so funny?" Hank questioned.

Deimos wiped a tear off his face. "You seriously don't remember what you did yesterday?"

Hank shook his head. "I know I was drunk and you guys had to take me home because of that fucking waiter, but that's as far as I can pull out from my head."

Deimos chuckled. "Oh man Hank! I never knew you had a funky side to ya'!"

Hank looked at him quizzically. "What?"

Deimos pulled out his cell phone and showed Hank the video Cathy had sent him from recording the dance he did at the club. Hank's eyes widened as he heard himself yelling and people cheering out his name in chorus. Then, he saw himself stumble out of the crowd to Cathy. Cathy's camera shook as he fell on top of her and she helped regain his balance.

* * *

_"Heyy babe! You liked them moves I pulled out?" _

_"Yeah Hank, that was awesome!"_

_"Glad you luved it girl!" _

_"Come on Hank, we gotta wait here for Sanford and Deimos." _

_"Okay! Luvv yuu Casey!" _

_"Cathy." _

* * *

The recording stopped. Hank face-palmed himself. He saw that Cathy was recording for about a good five minutes, and he wasn't sure how long he was dancing for. Hank felt his face flush of color as he realized that this would haunt him forever. The worst part was: It wasn't even Hank's fault! Hank just wanted a beer and a decent conversation with her, but instead he finds himself as the party clown there.

Deimos snickered as he saw Hank's reactions. "There is some good in this story though."

Hank sighed and looked at him. He didn't know what would make him feel better at this point. "Just tell me."

Deimos showed Hank the picture he took of Sanford covered in barf with a shocked expression from Deimos taking his picture. Hank saw himself lying on the floor next to him, and smirked as he realized he was the reason why Sanford was in that state.

"You got the revenge you wanted on Sanford from a month ago." Deimos explained.

Hank chortled. "I suppose that's the only good thing from last night."

"Don't forget the fact that you became the party monster for a night at Club M!"

"Please, don't remind me Deimos."

Deimos closed his phone and saw Sanford walk up to him. Sanford looked at Hank and then back at a smiling Deimos.

"I see you must've told him the news Deimos." Sanford greeted them both with.

"Yup! I even showed him the picture of you slathered with his vomit!"

Sanford's eyes widened as he suddenly remembered Deimos's photo.

"Deimos..." Sanford growled.

Deimos quickly pushed some buttons on his phone. "Relax, it's gone now." he said as he showed him the message that had popped up after he deleted the image.

Sanford looked at Deimos's cell closely to confirm him, and realized he was telling the truth. Well, not entirely. The photo was still in Deimos's computer, which meant it WASN'T gone for good. But Sanford didn't know that.

Deimos knew he could use that against Sanford someday in the future when he wasn't expecting it.

Sanford gave back Deimos his mobile device, and sighed with relief. Then he turned to Hank.

"Hank, you nagged at me about how Deimos and I were dumb enough to get ourselves drunk. Now, look who's talking!" Sanford grinned. Deimos laughed at this.

Hank gritted his teeth. "It wasn't my fault in the first place. That dumb-ass waiter who served us our drinks decided to fuck up and give me a bottle of shit-tasting alcohol for ten people instead of a simple beer. I'm just shocked my liver hasn't exploded yet after what happened last night. Besides, you two did your crap because you were having a 'contest' to see who could drink more, retards."

Sanford rolled his eyes. "You still got drunk Hank. And that's that!"

Hank was about to start yelling at them until Deimos's cell phone had began ringing.

Deimos flipped it open and put it next to his ear. "Hello?"

Deimos stood silently, listening to the voice from the other side frantically talk.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down! We're going alright? Just tell us what's going on when we get there." Deimos answered back as he ended the call.

"Who were you talking to?" Sanford asked him.

Deimos looked at him. "The Chief wants us."

Hank groaned. "Ugh...can't it wait later? Crime doesn't wait for anything, but I'm pretty sure a couple of hours isn't going to hurt anybody."

Deimos shook his head. "Whatever it is, he really needs us at the hospital."

Hank looked at him, puzzled. Everybody he knew was with him, so whatever was going on didn't necessarily have to do with his life. Still, why the hospital?

Deimos turned to Sanford. "San, get the car. We're gonna need it for where we're going."

"What! I just parked that bitch!" Sanford complained.

"Do we look like we have much of a choice?" Hank gloomily said as he wasn't able to get the relaxation he so desperately wanted.

Sanford glanced at Hank then to Deimos. He grabbed both sides of his head and threw his arms back down in anger, cursing as he walked back to the garage.

"Fucking Chief has to call 10 in the morning for shit...what the hell is going on...?"

Sanford quickly got the car ready and Hank and Deimos took their seats. Cathy saw them driving away and ran back out.

"W-wait! Aren't you going to eat?" Cathy said, holding a plate.

Hank sighed. He felt guilty that she had cooked for him and he would waste good food just like that. "Fine Cathy, just give each of us plates and we'll eat as we drive. What did you make for us anyways?"

Cathy nodded and showed him the plate she had. Sanford and Deimos turned pale as they saw all the food was burned and Hank couldn't help but cringe back.

"On second thought Cathy...we'll just go and get some breakfast at McBurgerTown. Bye!" Hank told her as Sanford quickly drove off.

Cathy coughed from the dust their car's wheels had blown on her. She glared at the three of them.

"Well it's not my fault that all this food has to go to the garbage because I was worried about you!" she yelled.

They drove off in the distance. She looked down at her ruined meal.

"Jerks..." she muttered under her breath.

Cathy put some of the scrambled eggs in her mouth. She spat it all out as the bitter, awful taste had spread on her tongue.

'Maybe McBurgerTown isn't such a bad idea...' she thought as she threw away the burnt breakfast.

* * *

A/N: You know the drill. 3,600 words. Gotta end it here or else this chapter would be way too long to read.

Just listening to the radio right now to "I Gotta a Feeling" on 95.5. Took me 2 hours to type this since I was a bit stuck in the middle. But no worries. The show goes on. But I have a bigger problem. In fact, every author here has it too.

School restarts two days from now, and I gotta type as many chapters I can before September 6th. Since I'm just starting high school, I don't know how this will affect my schedule for writing. Nevertheless, it takes me an hour or so on average to type a chapter, so I should be able to update, at least, weekly. I WILL finish this story, this I swear on my life. I want this to be the first MC fanfiction out there that's complete and isn't a one-shot.

I want to thank Kagami again for his (or her, I can't honestly tell since the name Kagami in Japanese merely means "mirror") review. I really appreciate it, and I hope you will enjoy this story as it continues to progress. Other reviews would be appreciated from more people too since I want to know whether or not people are starting to notice Final Salvation as much as the view count says. Guest comments are always automatically accepted, so don't worry about that either.

Well, enough talk. But look at the bright side! Maybe school can help me write in English class! I've seen CountSheep's fanfics (although I would have to say her content is EXTREMELY vivid and a bit uncomfortable to read since I'm a guy myself *shudder*) and her (yes, SHE'S A FEMALE) writing is pretty intense. I won't be retiring until I turn 16, or I get killed before then, which means you guys get two years' worth of reading entertainment from me since I'm 14 and my birthday is on May 1st. So as long as I'm writing, I'll be reading reviews and PM's.

Thanks you guys for your time and I hope you enjoyed this installment! Chapter 18 will be out very soon!

~Spirit9871


	18. A Hint Written in Blood

Chapter 18: A Hint Written in Blood

* * *

Chief Harley sat at the waiting room, his eyes drooping. Nobody was in the hospital with him because it was so early in the morning. He fought against sleep as hard as he could, but was failing at the battle. It was an exhausting night.

First, the police force discovers the result of a massacre that they weren't able to prevent. Then, they find the only witness to the whole event that's struggling to live after being shot twice in the chest and is in the E.R. After they had escorted the young man there, he had started screaming and yelling uncontrollably, fighting against doctors from operating on him as if he was possessed. Eventually, they used sedatives to keep him still, and had to continue the operation from there.

Harley hadn't slept for more than a day in order to make sure he would stay awake when he would meet up with Hank, Sanford, and Deimos. He had seen many morbid and bizarre things in the 9 years he worked as a police officer, but nothing compared to this.

Every time something would go horribly wrong in Nevada, the police would be blamed for it. But what could they do? Even if they can stop some crimes, there was no way they could get rid of it completely. If Hank, Sanford, and Deimos can stop some of the biggest criminals to date, then things would be much easier to sort out. He sighed.

Damn. If he knew being a cop was this hard, he wouldn't have even bothered to join. Still, saving a whole city in danger of being overrun by criminals wasn't meant to be an easy job.

Harley's head shot up as he heard the entrance from the hospital open and saw Hank, Sanford, and Deimos walking in.

"Damn it Chief...you better have a good explanation on why you brought us here so fucking early in the morning..." Hank muttered.

Harley shook his head. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you."

"Told us what?" Sanford asked.

"Told you three that the whole Order of the Grey Blood was killed last night."

The trio looked at him with shock.

"What!?" Deimos yelled.

"I'm not exaggerating anything. They were all dead when we found them. Well, almost everyone." Harley said as he looked at the room where the young man they had identified as Carlos Vendetti laid.

"How many survivors?" Sanford questioned.

"Only one. The streets were littered with their corpses." Harley explained.

Sanford shook his head, still trying to swallow the unbelievably strange truth. "Who the hell did this?"

Harley exhaled deeply. "We don't know. The kid in the room over there," Harley pointed, "is our only lead. If he dies, so does this case."

Hank gazed at him. "What's his name?"

"Carlos Vendetti. When we discovered him, he was barely holding on. He was shot twice in the chest, and, amazingly, still alive." Harley answered.

"Anything else?" Deimos said.

Harley continued to explain the rest of the situation to the three of them. When he had finished, he pulled out an envelope. He pulled out some images from it.

Harley placed them all onto the table for them to see."These are all the pictures we took from the crime scene."

Hank, Sanford, and Deimos looked through them one by one.

"They're hard to see Chief..." Deimos pointed out, squinting his eyes as he held the photo close to his face.

"I'm sorry boys, but this is the best we got so far. The storm from yesterday messed up our evidence as we took them." he apologized.

Hank suddenly saw one image that caught his attention. He didn't know why, but his gut told him that there was something strangely off about this image. All the others were pictures of horrifically mutilated dead bodies, but this one in particular seemed to portray something more than that.

Hank picked it up and showed it to Harley. "Chief, can you try and make this picture a bit clearer?"

Harley carefully analyzed it. Although he couldn't see anything odd about it, he knew that Hank maybe had something on it.

He nodded. "Okay then Hank. I'll do my best to see what forensics can do about this."

Hank turned towards the door with Carlos behind it. "Can we see our patient now?"

Harley saw where he was looking and nodded again. "We don't really have much of a choice."

Harley stood up and the three others followed behind him. They stopped in their tracks.

"By the way." Harley started, "don't try and pressure him too much. Otherwise, he'll just kill himself right in front of us."

* * *

They entered. Carlos was sitting upright on his bed, scribbling something in his notebook and not seeming to notice them come in.

"Carlos?" Harley said in a friendly tone.

He was given no response.

"Listen, I know you're freaked out right now, but if you can help us, we can get the assholes that did this, and you don't have to worry anymore. Besides, you're safe with us. Nobody will get you." Harley comforted.

Carlos still said nothing as he continued vigorously drawing in the book he was given to help get him out of his trauma. Hank saw what he was drawing.

Black. The whole page was black. Carlos had been dragging the led point of his pencil around and around the page to make some kind of completely black scenery. There was nothing in the center of all the darkness.

Sanford, Deimos, and Harley moved over next to Hank, and were a bit surprised to see Carlos's work.

"What's that?" Deimos asked Harley, referring to the book.

"As soon as the doctors had finished operating on him, Carlos just went dead silent. We couldn't get anything out of him as if he had gone mute. Then, we thought that maybe if we gave him some kind of book to write in, he could tell us his thoughts on paper. But instead of writing, he just snatched it from us, got out a pencil, and just started what he's doing right now." Harley replied.

Sanford looked at the black sheet again. "How long has he been at it?"

Harley shrugged. "Ever since we gave him that stuff, he just kept on shading page after page, making them all look like the one he's working on right now. I'd say he's been doing the same crap for hours."

Deimos sat down in front of Carlos. "Carlos. We're here to help you. Just tell us what's wrong. You can talk, but you just need to find the words."

As soon as Deimos said that, Carlos flipped the page quickly. The four men jumped back at his sudden action. They kept watching to see if Deimos had finally gotten to him. But sure enough, Carlos started drawing in a circular motion for another pitch-black canvas. Deimos sighed as he failed.

But just before they were going to leave, Hank stepped in front of Harley.

"Chief."

"Yes?"

"Give me the photo I just gave you a couple of minutes before."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

Harley pulled out the image Hank had requested for from his wallet. Hank took it and walked towards Carlos.

"Carlos, enough bullshitting. It's either you say something about last night and we can take down the bastards that threaten Nevada, or you sit down, keep drawing worthless shit, and let those motherfuckers keep roaming right under our noses." Hank harshly said.

Carlos still didn't say anything.

Hank glared at him angrily. "Then you left me with no choice Carlos."

Hank pulled out the photograph and put it on top of Carlos's book. Carlos's eyes widened as he dropped his pencil and quickly crawled back to a corner, cowering with his hands on his head and scrunched up in the little space he trapped himself inside.

"DISSENTER BE DAMNED! DISSENTER BE DAMNED! DISSENTER BE DAMNED!" he started yelling. Carlos began screaming frantically as if he was being stabbed.

A male doctor and a nurse ran in and began trying to calm Carlos down.

"God damn it! It took long enough trying to stop him from going insane!" the doctor yelled as the nurse had began trying to reason with Carlos who was shaking his head wildly.

Harley grabbed Hank and pulled him around. "Are you nuts!? The guy's already fucked up enough! Why the hell did you do that Hank!?"

Hank grasped Harley's hands and forcefully yanked them away from him. He then dug his thumb into a pressure point in Harley's palm, forcing it to open. Hank placed the photo into his hand.

"Your answer is in here." Hank simply told him as he walked out.

Harley gaped at him with a dumbfounded look, amazed at the fact that Hank had just calmly left as if nothing had happened. Sanford shook his head and Deimos continued to watch the frantic Carlos and medics emotionlessly.

Harley turned to the both of them. "Aren't you two going to say ANYTHING to him?"

Sanford sighed. "Chief. Do what Hank tells you. There's a reason why he did that, I'm pretty sure of it. Hank is not the type of guy that likes to screw around with others."

Sanford followed Hank out. Harley turned to Deimos, hoping for different reaction from him. Deimos raised his hands in defense.

"Don't look at me, Chief. Sanford's right." Deimos stated as he was the third person to leave the room.

Harley looked back at Carlos who was starting to calm down as soon as he realized the photo was gone. He went back outside and saw the trio waiting for him to make his exit as well at the far end of the hallway.

"Unbelievable. I swear to God if that kid dies-"

"Relax, Chief, nothing will happen to him. He just had an anxiety attack, that's all." Deimos assured.

The doctor left the room and sighed in exhaustion with his assistant nurse.

"Get him a meal. After he's done, give him some medication to put him to rest." the doctor ordered.

The nurse nodded and hurriedly ran off to get some food.

Harley went up to the doctor. "How is he?"

The doctor faced him. "He's fine. For now. Whatever you did to him though had nearly given him a heart-attack. If you want your man alive Chief, then I suggest you don't pull off a stunt like that again."

Harley nodded and shook hands with the doctor. He then turned around and glared at Hank who was staring at the floor, not in embarrassment or shame, but thinking in deep thought.

"Hank, I don't know why the hell you did that, but you've just put this investigation into deep shit. I even warned you not to scare him otherwise we'll suffer for it. If something like that would scare a man shitless, then we've got a full-scale problem in our hands. Worst of all, we don't even know WHERE the threat is. I don't expect you to kill my witnesses, and if you do, you're the one who's to blame for murder." Harley whispered to him in a sharp tone.

Hank looked back at Harley's tired face. "Something's not right here."

"Hank, I'm pretty sure that we can all tell t-"

"No." Hank interrupted. "I don't understand why, but that photo you're holding and Carlos's drawing seemed to connect."

Now, Sanford and Deimos were just as confused.

Sanford was the first to speak to his unusual suggestion. "What? The only thing Carlos drew on that piece of paper was a completely black scene, and the photo shows something COMPLETELY different. How the hell do those two things match up?"

Hank shook his head. "They do Sanford. Carlos saw something that he didn't want to tell the Chief. Something so horrifying that mentioning it to another person would drive him insane. And that picture must've caught that _something_."

Harley looked back down at the photo. He still couldn't see what Hank was talking about.

"Hank, these pictures were taken **after** the bloodshed. Why would whatever killed these men stay for a photo-shoot from the police?" Deimos argued.

Hank looked away from them. They didn't see it, but for some reason, _he_ can.

* * *

The nurse came back with a tray of food and walked into Carlos's room.

"Eat up. You need to regain your strength." she told him.

"..."

The nurse placed the tray on top of his lap and walked off to get the medicine ready. Carlos slowly glanced at his meal. He picked up the knife...

* * *

"So, what you're saying is: there's _**something**_ unnatural in that photo Harley's officers took? Just that one picture?" Sanford questioned again.

Hank got irritated. "I told you already, yes! Yes! There's something fucked up about it that I just can't put my finger on. That's why I need Harley to alter it so I can see it more clearly!"

Sanford and Deimos blinked and took a step back. They had never seen Hank so upset before.

Hank turned to Harley, who was also stunned. "Chief, you **have** to do what I tell you. Otherwise we're all doomed."

Harley heard that last word ring in his head. This was something that didn't even seem to exist, and Hank was freaking out about it.

Harley bit his lip in anger. "Fine. Just don't bother with Carlos anymore, you got that?"

Hank nodded. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

"Wait."

Deimos rolled his eyes. "Now what Nostra-dumbass?"

"Carlos."

"What about him?" Sanford said in puzzlement.

"I...I don't sense him anymore."

"Sense him? What, now you're a Jedi too Hank?" Deimos joked. Hank ignored his crude sense of humor as he tried to "sense" Carlos. But he felt nothing.

* * *

The nurse walked back in. She looked at her tray, confirming she had everything ready.

"Alright Carlos, did you enjoy your meal? All I need you to do now i-"

She stopped as she looked at his bed and dropped the tray. The nurse shrieked as loudly as she could at the sight.

* * *

Hank, Sanford, Deimos, Harley, and the doctor quickly ran to her aid. They opened the door and they were baffled as well.

"Whoa..." Deimos said.

There was blood all over Carlos. His right arm was cut wide open and he had apparently slit his own throat with a knife that lay on his right lifeless hand. He stared blankly at the wall in front of him. They didn't need to check his pulse to figure out whether or not he was dead.

Chief Harley was enraged. A young man; dead because of Hank's actions. Now, not only did he have to deal with a suicide, but he also had no evidence on whatever was going to attack Nevada. Nevertheless, he went next to the trained medics to help them however he could.

Hank saw the gruesome sight. Blood all over the sheets and dripping onto the floor, blood on Carlos's clothes and body, and even more blood rushing out of his corpse.

Suddenly, something caught his attention.

Hank saw the blood racing down Carlos's fingers to his now-closed book.

Hank opened it and started flipping the pages. He saw nothing but black after black sheet. Hank finally reached the last page and he narrowed his eyes.

"You guys better see this." he said in a low, stern voice.

Everybody in the room crowded around him and was bewildered to see Carlos's last words.

"HELP ME." written and underlined twice in blood; seemingly traced by fingers.

* * *

A/N: Holy crap! I'm so sorry this took so long to update! I had to get ready for school and I was so damn exhausted by the time I got home. Also, I hope this chapter didn't bore you guys for having only a single setting. But I didn't know how to continue on a chapter after THAT happened.

I guess this chapter may have freaked at least a few people out, but you could thank Creepypastas on the Internet for that. If you don't exactly know what a Creepypasta is, then just Google the not-well-known meme. But believe me, some shit out there is really, REALLY creepy and bizzare, but VERY addicting to read. I don't know if they have MC Creepypastas out there, and I doubt there will ever be since Madness Combat is weird and freaky enough on its own.

In addition, I also realized that this is the perfect time to make that time-jump I was thinking about for a while. The story's getting too stale if it stays like this day-by-day, and at this rate, will never finish (no, that's a BAD thing since I have a lot more exciting ideas in my head, but can't write them yet until this story itself is finished, otherwise I'm backing out of the promise I made in my last chapter).

Again, I'm so sorry that it took me so long to update this. I felt guilty as I saw some views go into my story, and some disappointed readers probably upset at the fact that I didn't continue yet. Like I said, I've never lied to you. I'm going to finish this even if I have to type WITH MY TOES.

Well, that's all. I'll try and update by tomorrow again or hopefully today to make up for my absence. It's the beginning of the school year, so it's now or never. Thanks for reading, and I hope you can forgive me.

~Spirit9871


	19. Like Me On Horrorbook

Chapter 19: Like me on Horrorbook

* * *

Hank sat down in a chair near the television. It was 9 in the morning, and things had been exceptionally boring lately, ever since the Carlos Vendetti incident at the hospital. But that was so long ago that it was nothing but a distant memory of the past to him now.

As days had turned into weeks and weeks had turned into months, things had been quiet around Nevada. Word spread quickly about Carlos's suicide and things had just gone from the citizens at the city being worried out of their minds, to chaotic. People had began staying indoors more frequently during the evening and nighttimes with their knowledge that there was something lurking in the shadows. Hank, Sanford, and Deimos were part of the very few people that didn't seem to give a damn about the strange happenings in their hometown.

Just like Chief Harley had warned them, their hopes of finding out who was behind all this had diminished into thin air as soon as Carlos had died. No other survivors were found at the crime scene and they had no choice but to clean the streets of Dead Nevada; watching as their leads washed away with the water they used to rinse off the blood.

Chief Harley was infuriated at the three men for ruining the case. But nonetheless, he had no choice but to allow the trio to continue fighting off crime; especially at a desperate time like this. He hoped that somehow, miraculously, they would be able to find something in return for what they lost. Harley refused to talk to Hank ever since, but was fine with Sanford and Deimos. Hank didn't seem to care about the silent treatment he was receiving.

Not much had happened in this gap of time. Hank continued his dating game with Cathy and got to know her better. She was a secretary for a company and takes care of her mother whenever she could. Although Cathy had made some progress into making Hank start trusting her more, she was never given any personal information about himself. Their relationship helped him take his mind off of some things as he didn't have a nightmare ever since.

Sanford began helping Deimos get accustomed to being more socially active and enjoying himself outdoors. After a lot of face-palming, cursing, and persuasion, Sanford had done it. Deimos had started exploring more of the area around him instead of sitting in his desolate room with the computer screen shining brightly amidst all the darkness. Still, he never did break away from his smoking habit and his addiction on computers. Deimos would love both things in his life no matter what.

All-in-all, they resumed their raids on gangs put on high alert, knowing that their celebrity statuses had attracted the attention of criminals. Missions became longer and harder as they tried to eliminate every gangster they had crossed paths with. No matter, they always prevailed, although there was never a time afterwards where they had to deal with the same odd occurrence with Carlos. Eventually, Sanford and Deimos had calmed down and forgotten almost completely about Vendetti's suicide, but Hank didn't. Hank even asked Augustus if he knew about the abnormalities plaguing Nevada, but was never given a solid answer back. Augustus seemed timid as well lately, but Hank only presumed it was because of the ruckus.

And now, we return back to present-day.

* * *

Hank opened the book he kept in the table front of him. However, this was no ordinary book.

This was the same exact book Carlos had used.

Harley had given it to him because it was no use by now. The mystery had gone cold, and it was a matter of time until they would figure out whether or not there really was something out there haunting Nevada.

Hank flipped through each page, still trying to find _something_ he could use to confirm his suspicions as imagination or truth. He had made it a habit of his to skim through the whole book every morning before he would start his day. The only thing that stood out was the last page where Carlos's words "Help me" written in blood had dried up like paint and permanently stuck onto the page. Most people would freak out if they had a book like that in their house, but Hank was more curious than afraid of why his mind had started creating these strange and non-human qualities (such as when he "sensed" Carlos in the hospital a month before).

Hank picked up the book, went into his room. and placed it into a drawer. Then, he went back to the TV and continued surfing through each channel. Unfortunately for him, the Nevada television stations never put anything interesting on air early in the morning.

Hank sighed. There was almost nothing to do. Sanford and Deimos were still asleep for staying up so damn late in the morning arguing about some random shit.

Suddenly, a thought came up into Hank's head.

Hank looked at Deimos's door. Although Deimos's last computer had been trashed by hacking into the A.A.H.W.'s secret webpage, Hank realized that he could still find more information on Dan Richards on other sites. It was a long-shot since not many personal things go online, but it was worth a try. Still, to go on the Internet, you needed a computer. And Deimos had a computer.

Hank shook his head. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. That was Deimos's stuff. Not his. If he were to go and "borrow" Deimos's computer for his own needs, then that would go against all the morals he stands by. Deimos had given Hank space, but Hank was thinking about using his stuff now? No way. That's just wrong.

Hank looked back up to Deimos's room.

Still...

* * *

(10 seconds later)

Hank slowly twisted the knob on Deimos's door. He slightly pushed it open and silently crept up to his desk where the laptop lay. Deimos's bed was right next to the desk, so if Hank were to make a single noise, he was fucked.

Hank finally found himself in front of Deimos's desk. This was it. The minute he picks up the computer, he has to get the hell out of there.

Hank slowly placed his hands underneath his prize and lifted it up. He turned around, looking back at Deimos who was drooling.

"Mmm...chili dogs...fuck yeah..." Deimos muttered in his sleep.

Hank rolled his eyes and began tip-toeing back through the entrance. Suddenly, the floorboard underneath him creaked loudly. Hank's eyes widened as he heard Deimos shuffle behind him.

"Hank...you fucker! You give it back!" Deimos yelled.

He was about to run out until he saw Deimos was still asleep.

"My chili dog asshole! Give it bitch! ...I'll fuck you up...you gay-ass ninja..." Deimos said in his sleep as he turned to his side.

Hank felt his body relax in tension. He continued to carefully walk out of the room, this time making sure the floor wouldn't make any more noises.

* * *

Hank walked out and after making sure that the door was perfectly closed, he quickly walked off to the living room. Hank sat down and opened the laptop up.

Hank's eyes widened as he saw what was on the screen.

"Sweet Jebus!" he told himself loudly.

Apparently, Deimos was "whacking it" last night (if you know what I mean. *wink* wink*).

Hank quickly opened a new tab on the browser. He wiped off his hands in disgust on his clothes knowing that Deimos's "contaminated" fingers were all over the keyboard he was touching right now. Hank took a mental note to make sure that Deimos washed his hands BEFORE he would pass ANYTHING to him by hand.

"For fuck's sake Deimos..." Hank grumbled. He shook it off and went on an online search engine. Hank searched up the name "Dan Richards" and sure enough, he was given a huge list of people's names. Hank looked through page-after-page of his results, but he found nothing.

That is, until one link caught his eyes.

Hank clicked on the URL and was immediately transported to a new site. He found himself on a page showing the bio of a young man. Hank stared into his eyes, and sure enough, he figured who this was.

Hank was staring at the picture of Dan Richards.

Hank quickly knew that this was Dan because he seemed to have resembled Cathy in great detail. Dan was a well-built, handsome looking man with blonde hair going down his head. However, Dan seemed depressed though. This picture must've been the last image he ever uploaded on his profile before he had left society for the A.A.H.W. Next to Dan's face was his birth date: 3/4/83.

That would mean that Dan was almost as old as Hank if he was still alive.

Hank scrolled down and read Dan's profile line-by-line. He realized that Dan was part of the football team and was incredibly gifted as the awards he had won for his educational status at school were listed below. Dan was also apparently extremely popular amongst his schoolmates, and the majority of the kids knew who he was when his name was mentioned.

Hank suddenly found the personal column where Dan wrote all of his thoughts down for the public to read. He began reading it and found only practical characteristics listed.

Hank felt his eyes droop and snap back open. He hadn't slept last night and stayed up watching television. It was strange though, Hank never really did need much sleep when he was trained at the Anti-A.A.H.W., but now he was feeling himself degrade into a normal person that needed to rest. All this adapting to his new, simple life must've screwed his special qualities over.

Hank finished reading the bio, but found an extra line at the bottom.

_"Thanks for visiting, and oh, by the way, I KNOW YOU'RE HERE HANK."_

Hank did a double-take when he saw that sentence.

"What the fuck?" he questioned.

Hank didn't know why, but his instincts told him to scroll back up. So, Hank trusting his gut, climbed back on top of the page. He looked at Dan's picture again.

Dan's blonde, clean, organized hair had turned into a brownish-yellow mess, as if it was run through dirt. His clothes had changed from light-toned to dark, and he looked as if he hadn't slept in ages, with there were tears running down his cheeks.

Hank stared in absolute shock at what he was looking at. But how was this possible? It wasn't like the site automatically updates itself when a user reads through it. That would be impossible. Hank would have to refresh the page to see something like this happen, but the only thing he did was scroll down to read something and come back up to find things had changed.

Hank didn't know what to do at this point. He kept telling himself that this had to be some kind of sick joke. It just has to. Maybe somebody had programmed it in a sense to scare the crap out of people sticking their noses into the wrong places. But it still doesn't explain why the page had acknowledged his presence.

Just before he would settle down and make a choice, he saw the computer screen fizz into red static.

'Damn it! Deimos will screw me over if I caught ANOTHER virus!' Hank thought to himself. But this was no virus.

In fact, after the static had faded away, Hank had wished it was a computer virus in the first place that had caused it.

Dan's picture was changed again, only this time, his vulgar face had a wide, creepy grin on it, as if it was enjoying Hank's confusion. His birth date had changed from the normal 3/4/83 to a 666.

Hank couldn't take it anymore. He slammed the top of the computer shut and prayed that whatever demon had made this trick would die and burn to hell. But just then, he felt something grab him from behind. Hank turned around and saw Carlos look at him with the same scared eyes he remembered from the hospital.

"**Dissenter be Damned..."** he whispered.

* * *

Hank found himself shoot up from his chair, gasping for air. He clenched his fists.

Another damn nightmare.

Hank looked down at the laptop in front of him, and was surprised to see it closed, just like in his dream. He traced back his thoughts. Yes, he remembers now. His eyes were drooping, and he must've fell asleep without noticing, after finishing Dan's speech on the profile, which meant everything afterwards was only his imagination.

Hank slowly opened the laptop up, expecting some kind of freakish-jumpscare to greet him. But instead, he finds himself on the search engine he used to find Dan.

Hank searched up Dan Richards, and found that same list of people line up. He clicked on the page where he found the link.

It was gone.

Hank scrolled up and down the results' page, but couldn't find it. Then, another alternative popped up into his brain. Hank opened the history of his web searches, and found the URL he was looking for. Hank clicked it, but instead of picture of a teenager, he saw this message:

[404 ERROR: LINK CANNOT BE FOUND]

Hank refreshed the page again and again, but to no avail. It was as if he had gone to an imaginary site. Still, that didn't add up. The computer had remembered Hank had gone to the site, but the Internet was telling him that it doesn't exist. Hank trusted Deimos's laptop over the Internet and knew that something was wrong.

Before Hank could speculate on his thoughts even more, he heard a voice and jumped a bit after his nightmare.

"Ugh...what an awful dream...that was my chili-dog though, and Hank damn well knew it! Ah fuck it. I'll just go to the Net and-"

A pause. Some shuffling.

"The fuck? Where the hell did my computer go!?"

Hank exhaled in relief as he recognized the voice as Deimos's. Then his eyes opened wide. It was 12 o'clock in the afternoon, and he was stupid for not returning the computer back before he dozed off. Hank did some mathematical equations in his head to see how things would most likely turn out:

Equation 1: Deimos + Computer = Happy

Equation 2: Deimos – Computer = Sad

Equation 3: Hank + Computer + Deimos Finding Out = FUCKED

Conclusion: OH SHIT

* * *

Deimos ran through his stuff and even checked under his bed as if his laptop was some kind of pet dog.

"Someone must've stolen it!" he accused.

Deimos stormed out of the room, and to his surprise, saw Hank looking up to him, grinning.

"Heyyyyy Deimos!" Hank trailed uncomfortably.

Deimos looked at him suspiciously. "Do you know where the hell my laptop went Hank?"

Hank turned away from him to look at the kitchen. "Noooooooooo..." Hank said as he turned his head.

Deimos looked at him more closely, and then saw a piece of metal glimmering in the cushion underneath him. Deimos then walked up to him and jerked it out, only to find his laptop.

Deimos glared at Hank, who was now standing up.

"Well! It's best if I get going now..." Hank stretched and was about to walk out until Deimos jumped in front of him.

"What the fuck were you doing with my laptop Hank?" Deimos angrily asked.

Hank sighed. Why the hell did Deimos have such a good sense in finding out things?

"I was looking up Dan Richards aside from the A.A.H.W.'s webpage." he admitted as he scratched the back of his head.

Deimos looked at him in shock. "Hank! This is my NEW laptop! I don't want to catch _another_ virus and lose this one too!"

Hank calmly raised up a hand in defense. "Relax, your computer is fine."

Deimos growled. "It better be! Or else I'll-"

"You'll what?" Hank interrupted with sternness in his voice to indicate to Deimos that he was not to be taken lightly of.

Deimos shifted back from instinct, knowing that Hank was much stronger than him and Sanford combined.

"I'll...well, you'll see Hank!" Deimos stuttered, trying to regain his composure.

Deimos opened the laptop to see that everything was fully functional. He sighed with relief.

Hank began walking to the front door and chuckled before he left to Deimos.

"Funny to hear you so scared of viruses, the fact that you like to go on those 'special' sites of yours." Hank started.

Deimos looked up to him confused. "What?"

"I like your taste in women Deimos." Hank teased, trying to make his point again.

Deimos looked at him, still uncomprehending what Hank was implying. Then, he looked back at his laptop and realized that he forgot to turn off his computer last night and left the browser where he searched up his...stuff...on. Deimos's eyes widened as he turned to Hank gaping with his whole face turning bright red.

Hank smirked. "Don't worry Deimos. Sanford and I knew the WHOLE time. Almost every night, it sounds like you're playing with a hammer in your room." That was obviously a lie since Hank hadn't discovered Deimos's little secret until he used the computer.

Now, Deimos's skin turned pale as he continued to stare in shock with his mouth agape.

"Try not to do it so often though. There won't be anything left to have children with, you know." Hank advised.

Deimos didn't say anything back as humiliation and embarrassment had only let him make choked up noises from his throat. Hank coolly left the house. He walked a couple of feet until he heard Deimos.

"HANK YOU MOTHERFUCKERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

Birds flew out of the trees nearby in shock. Hank smiled.

"That's one way to wake up the whole neighborhood." he thought peacefully as he continued to move along.

* * *

A/N: Oh my fucking God! 5 days to update!? Shit! Damn high school is giving me an ORGASM of homework! I can't handle it! Like seriously, come on! Who the fuck does 20 advanced math questions in one night at the beginning of the year?!

Well, fuck it, whatever. I'm so sorry that this took so long again. School is fucking me over like I foreshadowed in my other Author Note in a previous chapter. Kagami, it's cool. I understand. In fact, I'm living the hell you're living in right now. Just review whenever you feel like you want to.

Anyways, it's a 4 day vacation baby! I'm going to make a pledge to spend one whole day (yes you heard me!) to make as many chapters as I can! In fact, by the end of the break, there should be 6 new awesome chapters up (you heard me right again! 6 chapters bitches!)

The reason this chapter mainly took so long was before I uploaded it, I realized that some content was too extreme to keep this as a rated T story. If I change this to rated M, most of you won't be able to find it since your filters aren't set to Rated: All or Rated: M. The part where Hank saw Dan's face after he read the line and saw Carlos was actually A LOT MORE HORRIFYING originally before I edited it. In fact, I'd probably be forced to change the rating if I were to use my scary parts in this chapter, so I made it more teen-friendly. I know that some of you guys might be able to handle it, but others, maybe not so well.

Meh, don't worry. I'm not adding another horror chapter again in the story, which means you won't be hearing this kind of problem from me again. Maybe a few creepy parts, but nothing over-the-edge.

There's nothing else much to say, but thanks for reading. I've gotten a lot of views, so I appreciate all of you guys! You rock! Thank you so much for making this story such a success! Chapter 20 will be up soon!

~Spirit9871


	20. The One Thing They Didn't Take From Me

Chapter 20: The One Thing They Didn't Take From Me

* * *

'Damn!'

'I'm late!'

Hank began running towards the park. How the hell did he forget again? It was 6 in the evening, and he was supposed to meet up with Cathy by 5:30.

Everything was turning into shit. This morning, Hank had just gone outside for fresh air when he saw random, bizarre images, flash through his head. Although they were too fast to process completely, Hank was able to make out some of the pieces.

All the visions showed dead, mutilated bodies. Some were familiar while others he had never seen before. It was as if he his memory was connected with someone else's.

The flashes of horror merely annoyed him up to the point that he couldn't take it anymore. He quickly ran home after traveling a few blocks and, strangely enough, the visions had stopped abruptly. So instead of sorting his head out, he gets even more confused on what the hell's wrong with him. Maybe that's why he forgot about the date?

Or is he just going insane?

By the time Hank had remembered about Cathy, it was already 5. Sanford was outside doing something himself and Deimos wasn't any help at all. In fact, Deimos didn't even bother showing his face to Hank afterwards.

Hank made it and found Cathy looking around, trying to figure out where he had gone. Hank walked up to her and she finally saw him.

"Where were you?" she asked, a bit irritated and worried.

"Sorry. I guess I'm not quick at getting myself ready for things." he lied. Hank was quick, but he couldn't just tell her that he forgot about tonight. That would tick her off even more.

She sighed. "For a second there, I thought you stood me up."

Hank rolled his eyes. "Well I wouldn't be here if I did, would I?"

Now Cathy smiled at his reassurance. "I guess so."

Hank saw she was holding something wrapped in her hands.

"What's that?" he questioned.

Cathy beamed that he had realized it. She showed it in front of him with stretched arms.

"It's for you! Happy 1 month anniversary!" Cathy delightedly yelled.

Hank's eyes widened. Anniversaries? Are couples still doing that shit today?

He grabbed it slowly from her hands. "Um...thanks."

Hank opened the top of the box and saw a rectangular object wrapped around fabric. He pulled out what was hidden and was shocked to see his gift.

An expensive-looking cell phone.

"Cathy, this is great, but how much did you have to spend for this?" Hank asked.

She grinned. "Not much, but I did work overtime for it!"

Now he was even more appalled. Overtime? For a gift? Hank felt even guiltier now.

"You didn't have to do this for me you know." he told Cathy.

Cathy shrugged. "You didn't have to date me either. But look at where we are now!"

Hank still felt a bit upset. "I know, but I didn't even know we were doing that anniversary thing, which is why I...didn't get you anything..."

To Hank's amazement, Cathy laughed.

"Hank! You saved my life before! I can't ever repay you for _that_!" Cathy reasoned.

Hank stood and chuckled. How was this girl still single?

"Besides, we can stay in touch from now on!"

Now he shook his head. Cathy probably bought the phone just to talk to him whenever he wasn't right next to her. Well, there was no going against it now apparently.

"Alright then. Where do you want to go?"

Cathy was about to answer until he interrupted.

"EXCEPT CLUB M."

Now it was Cathy's turn to roll eyes. "I know, I know. Don't remind me. I was thinking about a restaurant. And I'm pretty sure you won't get drunk there."

Hank ignored her last tease. "That's better."

She quickly walked off, and Hank had no choice but to follow her.

* * *

They sat down and opened their menus. The background was much quieter and calmer than the Club which Hank appreciated. He watched as Cathy focused on her menu like it was some kind of math test.

"Wow! Some of the stuff here looks delicious!" she brightened.

Hank looked back down. He did admit, a lot of the food sounded and seemed enticing, but was expensive. Hank was glad he brought his wallet full of cash with him before he went out.

"I suppose so." he agreed.

Hank looked back up and saw Cathy back in her focused mode. He looked at her with confusion by how she had quickly swung from one mood to the next in 3 seconds.

"May I help you?"

Hank blinked in surprise as he realized the waiter was right behind him. He hadn't chosen his meal yet.

"Actually, we-"

"I'd like the shrimp pasta, calamari, and a glass of wine please." Cathy cut him off.

Hank looked at her, a bit annoyed.

"And for you sir?" the waiter continued.

Hank turned back to him. They were staring at Hank to hear his choices.

He scratched his head. "Err...I'll just have what she's getting."

The waiter nodded and walked off. Hank sighed. Cathy noticed that Hank seemed bored so far, so she decided to start off a conversation.

"Hank?"

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you a question? About yourself?"

Hank watched her for a second and saw curiosity sparkle in her eyes. He sighed again. Tonight was their 10th date so far, but Cathy would always want to see more about the Hank J. Wimbleton that wasn't a killer. It seemed like she would find out about him one way or another, so there was really no point trying to hide the truth from her. After all, this was the 10th time they've been together, and Cathy had become more and more trustable with each conversation they would exchange.

He sat upright and crossed his arms. "Go ahead."

Cathy gleamed at this opportunity. But what could he ask him about? Who was his parents? What kind of person was he back then? What social class was his family put in? Was he actually born in Nevada?

She felt herself shaking her head at all the confusion. Cathy decided upon one question that she knew wouldn't trespass his privacy and would satisfy her most.

"Why did you join the Anti-A.A.H.W.?"

Hank stared at her and leaned back onto his chair.

"I have to admit, that is a good question." he said.

Cathy waited patiently for a response, but tried her hardest to contain herself. Finally, Hank chuckled.

"You know Cathy, when it comes to the war between the A.A.H.W. and its Anti, we actually have a lot in common." he hinted.

She sat there, a bit stunned, disappointed, and thoughtful about his reply. Common? What did they have in common? She _definitely_ wasn't a killer like him and wasn't a fighter either. In fact, they were complete opposites if they were to be compared. It seemed as though Hank's words raised more questions than answers.

Both of their meals had come surprisingly fast afterwards. Cathy watched Hank intently as he pulled down his mask to eat, expecting some kind of monster-like jaw attached to his face. But instead, she finds the face underneath the mask normal.

Hank began eating, but then stopped as he noticed Cathy hadn't even touched her plate yet.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing! It's just that, I was wondering what was under that mask of yours." Cathy explained truthfully.

He began picking up his fork again. "No. I bet you're not going to like it."

Cathy looked at him with an interested look. "Really? I don't think it's _**that**_ bad though."

Hank shrugged. "It probably is to other people. Aren't you going to eat? You're food's going to get cold if you just keep sitting there."

Cathy realized that she was in a restaurant and brought Hank here for dinner. It would be dumb of her to just keep talking and refrain from eating.

She picked up her own utensils, looked down at her inviting meal, and ate in silence. Cathy was surprised at how good the food tasted, while Hank seemed to be focused on devouring his plate.

* * *

Hank had paid the restaurant what they owed, and gave a fair tip to the staff. Cathy was smiling.

"Wow! The food was as good as it sounded! I'm so glad we came here!" Cathy exclaimed.

Hank nodded. "You really did choose a good place to eat. But why here?"

Cathy bit her lip and looked down. "This used to be where my father took us to eat whenever we would celebrate. You know. Just me, Dan, and my mother."

Hank began to regret asking. "I'm sorry..." he whispered.

She looked back up to him, hurt, but happy. "It's fine. Besides, I'm having the time of my life with you!"

Hank couldn't help but blush a bit at her compliment. He was dazzled by how much she trusts the same man who killed her father, made her brother go insane, and ruin the life of her mother. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel grateful that she went past his bad side, and gave him another chance. In fact, he seemed to enjoy being with her a lot more than most other things, even more than combat.

Still, Hank couldn't help but feel a bit unsettled by this newfound feeling. He never felt it before with any other person.

What the hell was this?

It seemed as though God didn't want Hank to find the answer to his question because as they walked back through a familiar path, he felt a droplet of water hit his head. Cathy felt it too, and the droplets had seemed to begin multiplying in number as they felt more and more water make contact with their bodies.

"Hank, do you-"

"Yeah, I feel it. Looks like it's just about to rain." Hank finished in the middle of her sentence.

Hank looked up and saw dark clouds form above their heads. He face-palmed himself for his stupidity. Hank didn't check whether or not he needed an umbrella tonight and now he was going to pay for it.

"Don't worry, I bet it's just some drizzle." Cathy said, trying to bring their hopes up.

Hank nodded and they kept walking. Unfortunately for them, this was no drizzle. It was a huge thunderstorm. Eventually, they were getting showered from the sky as they began running. At this rate, they'll be flooded in the streets.

"Let's go over to my house! It's not that far from here!" Cathy yelled over the thunder. Hank followed her lead as they began running to a small house nearby.

By the time Hank had walked in with Cathy, they were completely soaked. Hank wrung his clothes to get out some of the water, but it seemed like they wouldn't dry for a while.

'Crap.' he thought. Where the hell was he going to find another pair of pants and a shirt? Certainly not from Cathy, because he'd be wearing female clothes. And Hank would rather get sick from the cold for a month than dress up in her stuff.

Cathy led Hank in. "I never thought rain could come down so hard and so suddenly!"

"I'm pretty surprised myself. Should've brought a damn umbrella." he agreed.

Hank looked around as he walked behind Cathy. Her house looked nice with the bright colors it was painted in.

"I like what you did with the place. Looks great." he complimented.

"Thanks!"

Hank noticed that they were walking through a door to a room. "Where are you taking me?"

"Just to my room, I hope you don't mind." Cathy replied.

Hank was taken aback. Cathy was taking him to her room? Was she really okay with that?

"Is it really fine? I mean, this is your house after all." Hank told her.

Cathy nodded. "Yeah, why not? I trust you with my stuff. It's not like you're going to rob me, are you?"

"Yeah. That's exactly why I'm dating a 27-year-old woman for. Just to go, grab her stuff, and run out on her." he sarcastically said.

She grinned. Cathy opened the door and they both walked in. She closed it behind her and told him to sit down on her bed. He looked at her puzzled.

"My clothes are wet Cathy." he warned.

She waved a hand off. "Doesn't matter. I was going to go do the laundry tomorrow anyways."

Hank raised his eyebrows and shook his head as he sat down. He couldn't believe Cathy was totally fine with bringing him into her most personal space.

Cathy peered out the window and grimaced. "Oh no. Looks like the storm's going on pretty bad."

Hank shifted on the bed to make himself more comfortable in an unfamiliar room. "I guess we have no choice but to camp out here for a while."

She sat down next to him. Hank felt a bit odd when he was in this position.

"You want to do anything while we wait?" she suggested.

Hank shrugged. "I don't know. Most of the time, I just deal with boredom."

Cathy looked at him.

"What?" Hank questioned as her expression was getting to him.

"We can't just sit here for a couple of hours and do nothing! Hank, you've got to be more exciting than _that_." Cathy complained.

"Well, I've never known how it felt to have 'fun' like normal kids do when I was younger, so unless you have a bunch of bad guys and guns, I'm not really interested." Hank joked. But Cathy was a bit concerned at what he said.

"Hank?"

"Uh-huh?"

"Have you...have you ever been loved by anybody?"

Hank already knew the answer to that.

"No."

"What? But how?"

"I just wasn't. That's all. I was always a loner in my life."

"Why?"

"That's classified."

Cathy found herself in front of a brick wall again. She tried bringing the conversation back to life with, "Do you at least know what it means to be loved?"

Hank looked at her. "It doesn't honestly matter to me. When you're killing people and dying, love doesn't become part of your schedule. I mean, I could've just gone and screwed some hookers, but that isn't love. And I definitely ain't that desperate for a partner."

"But love is important! How could you just grow into a straight-forward man without it?"

"I just did. There is no 'how?' It's just the way things turned out."

She sat silent, but quickly continued.

"Hank?"

"I'm listening."

"Do you...do you want me to show you what it means to be loved?"

Hank gaped. "What!?"

Cathy blushed and turned away. "I'm sorry! It's just that you need love to become somebody, and I don't think you can actually live life without it."

Hank sighed. "Cathy, like I said before, I don't need it. Love is an imaginary thing people made up. It's not a necessity. It's ju-"

But before Hank could finish, Cathy pulled down his mask and kissed him. Hank sat wide-eyed as he just couldn't grasp the fact that this was actually happening to him. He didn't know whether to push her off and run out, wishing to never see her face again, or just go with it. Hank didn't have much of a choice though as she separated from him.

"Wha-what the hell was-"

"Hank. Just let me show you." Cathy warmly assured him as she looked at him pleadingly. Hank was completely immobilized with utter shock and confusion. He was upset that Cathy had just done that without his permission, but at the same time, he had to admit;

It felt so damn good...as if that fire in his chest from earlier was satisfied from her actions.

He jumped as he felt her hands go under his pants. Hank gulped as she teased him. Then, she seductively pulled out and cupped his face into both of her hands for another kiss, this time more passionate and powerful. Hank's mind told him to stop as it went against all his morals, but his body told him to keep going. Cathy lightly pushed him back onto the bed and went on top of him.

"Hank...show me your face..." Cathy pleaded.

Hank hesitated, but let her pull off his headgear to reveal his face. She went wide-eyed when she saw his true mask: the one he was born with.

Hank had long black hair and black pupils. His face seemed handsomely carved carefully, as if God had spent a little extra time with him than any other of his creations. The reason-being for this was because the Higher Powers decided to give Hank a gift that they knew would come in handy later.

Hank sighed as he saw her shock. "I told you that you wouldn't like it."

"Hank...you're so beautiful...why would you want to hide this from everyone?" Cathy told him.

He was a bit blown out of the water by the amount of truth she put in that sentence. "You really think so?"

She shifted backwards, completely appalled that he would even **think** that he looked awful. "Are you kidding? Of course I do! You must be nuts to think that you're ugly! I mean, I feel a bit guilty that I'm with such a handsome man compared to _this_ mess." Cathy referred to herself.

Hank shook his head. "You're fine Cathy. I honestly think that I'm the lucky one."

Her heart cracked from that. "Really?"

"Yeah. I'm sure."

Cathy looked back at him with lust. "Then let me give you part two of our anniversary gift."

Now Hank was worried. "Cathy, are you sure you want to do this? I'm a bit unsure myself, and you don't have to do this you know."

Cathy leaned towards him and whispered in his ear.

"Hank. You've given me so much and made me happy for the first time in God knows when. I've never felt like this before with another person, not even with my own family. I trust you more than anything else in this universe."

Hank said nothing as he continued to listen carefully. Cathy pulled out a condom pack she got a little while back in case if something like this happened, and placed it in Hank's hand.

"Let me give you the thing that you saved from those men trying to rape me that night. Let me give you the one thing they didn't take from me_**.**_"

Hank closed his eyes. No turning back. Not after getting this far. Thunder began to roar outside along with the harsh battering of rain.

"Okay..."

* * *

The officer hid behind a brick wall as he listened intently to two men talking in a dark alleyway. He thought there was something suspicious going on as he saw the both of them seemingly careful about their surroundings. The rain had made their voices hard to distinguish, but he was able to hear them clear enough. We'll call the first one X and the second one Y to avoid confusion of dialogue.

X: "Sir, all preparations are set."

Y: "When shall the plan be executed?"

X: "In a month. The primary weapons have been prepared and are being tested for sufficiency."

Weapons? What's going on here? The officer tried to contact Chief Harley, but cursed himself as he realized the thunderstorm was interfering with his method of contact. He had no choice but to continue listening on and later tell the story face-to-face with the others.

Y: "A month? Isn't there anyway to make things go faster?"

X: "No sir. The weapons are not all fully functional yet."

Y grunted.

Y: "Very well then. But we're in a very bad position here. And you damn well know it."

X: "Yes sir. But do not worry. Hank, Sanford, and Deimos will not know of our initiatives until it is too late."

Y: "You better hope so, or I'm using your skull as my new portable toilet."

X shuddered, but continued on.

X: "Our calculations are all accurate. They will perish before the attack if all plans go accordingly."

Y: "Very well then."

They stood in silence for a few seconds. Just as the officer was going to go off and report his findings, he heard more information get passed.

Y: "Are the other cores ready as well?"

X: "They are sir. New York, California, Ohio, Texas, and Illinois have been all informed of this attack."

Y nodded in satisfaction. Then, he started laughing.

Y: "Have you caught on yet?"

X: "Yes sir. Indeed I have."

The officer raised his eyebrows in suspicion. What were they talking about?

Y smirked. "Well then, why don't we invite our unwanted guest into our talk, shall we?"

Now the officer had widened his eyes. He was that unwanted guest. They knew the whole time.

He began running towards the station a couple of miles from his location. The Nevada police force had to know this, before it was all too late!

But unfortunately, he only went a couple of yards until he was shot in the back, damaging his spine.

He fell in agony and went mute as he couldn't find the strength to shout. His whole body was paralyzed, and he was now a dying fish out of the water.

The two men walked towards him coolly, knowing that it was all over.

Y smirked. "Did you really think you could get away with all that gold?" he said as he picked up the officer's head gently with his right hand a few inches from the ground. The officer could say nothing as he choked up blood and couldn't handle the blinding torture.

Now Y's smirk had vanished and turned into a frown as he dropped his head. "Well you're wrong. **DEAD** wrong."

Y pulled up his pistol and aimed it to the officer's head. The policeman was shaking in fear and distress.

Y: "Don't worry. I'll do you a favor and send you back to your Creator. But look at the bright side! Your friends and family will be joining you soon enough."

A pistol shot can be heard and blood splattering on the floor. The rain washed away all the evidence of murder.

X was emotionless during the whole incident. Finally he spoke.

X: "Have you heard the news with Hank J. Wimbleton? I assure that this will interest you greatly."

Y: "Do go on."

X: "Apparently, our sources tell us that he had slept with a woman by the name of Cathy Richards."

A light of memory flashed through Y's eyes. He said nothing.

Y: "When?"

X: "A couple of hours ago."

Y chuckled. "That is quite interesting to hear. But it doesn't concern me."

X: "Do you honestly think so sir?"

Y: "I already know so."

X: "You never cease to amaze me."

Y said nothing as X threw the corpse in the dumpster, sure that the body wouldn't be discovered until early next dawn.

X: "But still, you really don't care? After all, **Hank J. Wimbleton is sleeping with your sister****.**"

Y laughed.

Y: "Don't worry. By the time I blow this city to hell, nothing will matter by then. Project Underground Circus will be a success."

* * *

A/N: THE MOST EPIC CLIFFHANGER IN THIS WHOLE STORY! AND I'M GOING TO TOP THAT LATER ON BABY!

LOL. Okay, enough caps locking. I'm glad this story has gotten a lot of attention. I'm sorry though, I can't keep my 6 chapter promise. But in return, I decided to give you THIS. The greatest chapter I've written in the story by far in my opinion. Still, I did give off a lot of hints in this chapter, because there's a lot more surprises and action coming (if you didn't catch on the clues in this installment, like seriously dude, WTF? I made it as freaking clear as possible!) .

I want to thank all my viewers and to those of you following this story. Your show of interest inspires me to continue.

Not much to say. I hope you guys can still find it in your hearts to forgive me though. I know, I know, I'm a cheap liar. But I will make this story end with a bang. Believe me, you won't regret it.

When Salvation ends, I will write one-shots and more multi-chapter Madness Combat Fanfictions based off before and/or after this. No separate series to confuse readers. Just one set of stories that everyone will like. Then, I will do some crossovers and fanfics on other topics. Maybe a Sonic the Hedgehog + Madness Combat? IDK. It sounds original, but it will be difficult to sort out. Still, humor has to be a consistent factor in all my stories. Otherwise, you're just reading boring crap.

I suppose I will see you in Chapter 21. Updates will be occurring mainly in the weekends and such, or on vacations, so if I don't update for a long period of time, don't worry. I'm still alive. I'll make sure to tell all of you guys when I'm leaving for good. And that won't be for years.

Thanks again to all of you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter (and I'm sure most of you did), because the cool parts are going to start soon!

See ya later!

~Spirit9871


	21. Surprises and Broken Secrets

Chapter 21: Surprises and Broken Secrets

* * *

Hank opened his eyes. His vision blurred as he tried to remember all the events that had happened. After a few seconds of blinking, he nearly jumped out of the bed as he felt something stir next to him.

Hank looked down and saw Cathy. He chuckled.

Ah yes, last night.

Hank fell on his back and stared upwards.

"Wow."

Not even the word itself was enough to define the incredible experience. He never knew the human body could be so capable of creating so much pleasure. But that had been the greatest night Hank had ever gone through. It was amazing. Just unbelievable. So rewarding, so powerful,

and yet so _wrong_.

Hank smirked as he thought that. It didn't matter to him by now, and he didn't really care. This would make up for all the agony he went through for thirty years. And Cathy had just fixed that all in one night.

Cathy woke up next to him. She rubbed her eyes and smiled.

"How was it?" she asked.

"I think you already know the answer to that." Hank answered.

She grinned. "We should do it more often."

Hank nodded in agreement. But he continued to stare at the wall in front of him. There had to be a way he could repay her.

"What's wrong?" Cathy eventually questioned.

Hank turned to her as he realized what he was missing. "You wanted to know, didn't you?"

"Huh?" Cathy said confused.

"You asked me before. How life for me was like, before all that shit."

She suddenly felt realization hit her.

"Do you want to hear it then?"

Cathy quickly nodded. Finally, she could hear what she wanted.

Hank looked back up, and dug through his memories. "I used to be an orphan. No mother, no father. My parents didn't bother to even show their faces to me even after I grew older. They dropped me off at some local orphanage. You know, the place where they threw away the children they didn't want. The mistakes."

"The local orphanage? Don't you mean the one near that elementary school that's all run-down and abandoned?" Cathy interrupted.

Hank nodded. "I don't exactly know why, but I just didn't bother talking to the people around me. I wasn't given any name, but the orphanage decided to give me the first one they could think of: Hank. My name was Hank. Just Hank at the time. Don't get me wrong, the woman who ran the orphanage, Julia, did her best to take care of everyone, but it wasn't real love. She would switch her roles with someone else, and that person does it again, and again, until finally, it goes back to her. Julia was just the first person to find me. That's what made her special from everyone else. Still, she had her own family and loved them. Not us. No matter how many times she would assure us of it and she would persuade all the other kids, I always knew. Always knew that she loved her family, not us. We're not her family. We were her _**job**_."

Cathy looked at him solemnly, knowing how painful it must've been for him. She didn't know what to say at this point, so she kept on listening.

"For some reason, Julia was attached to me the most. Maybe it was my quiet side that was so different from all the other screaming orphans she had to deal with? Or maybe because she tried her hardest to brainwash me into believing that I was being loved? I don't know. And I didn't care. Julia was just some mosquito bite that I had to wait to get off my chest."

"Time passed, and eventually, I was in school. The teachers were instantly attracted to me. They kept telling Julia that I was learning at an inhuman pace. What took 1 month for the kids in the class to understand and memorize, would take me less than half an hour to comprehend. No moaning, crying, or complaining. What was there to complain about anyways? No parents, no love, and a miserable childhood; those were things I had to deal with every day, compared to the other spoiled children that didn't know how good they've got it."

"Teachers allowed me to skip grades. I went with it. School was a waste of time. Everything was too simple to take in for me. I just wanted to get out and vanish. The school bully, Mark, was screwing everyone over with his team of bitches. It made me sick. But then, when I turned 15, something happened that I would never forget: I got to meet my father. In jail."

Cathy made a small gulp of anticipation.

"Darren Wimbleton. That was the fucker's name. He told me everything. Apparently, the asshole was a drug dealer who met my mom, a hooker. They met up, screwed around, and accidently had me. Darren wanted my mother to abort me. But she refused and ran off. Eventually, she had the baby and left me in the orphanage. Soon later, Darren found out, and killed her, just for disobeying him. The police caught up with his crime and arrested him 15 years later. When he had explained all the chaos, they looked for 15-year-old orphans to see who exactly his biological son was. Finally, they found a match and I got to look at him."

"I wanted to kill him after he told me that story. So badly. But I couldn't. I was 15, and I could barely do shit. The officers sent me away, but just as they turned their backs, Darren kicked one of them down and stomped on his head. His partner turned around, quickly pulled out his pistol, and fired. I saw my father's brains splatter everywhere, even on myself. Just like any other normal person, I started screaming. And I didn't stop for half an hour."

Cathy cringed.

"Julia tried to comfort me, but it was useless. I was Hank Wimbleton. And no matter how hard I try to ignore, forget, or even change my name, I was still Hank Wimbleton. The next day, I snapped when I saw Mark fucking around with a girl. I beat the shit out of him, but the others returned the favor. All I could remember afterwards was two men carrying me to somewhere in Nevada. They had allowed me to join the Anti-A.A.H.W., and I accepted. There was no meaning to live, so I just didn't give a fuck anymore. Soon, Hank J. Wimbleton had turned from an innocent, quiet, forgotten orphan, into a killer."

Hank stopped and got off of the bed. "And that's that."

Cathy stared at him in disbelief. Was he lying? There was no way somebody could even live with that status and stay sane.

"Is that all true?" Cathy tried to confirm with him.

"Yeah." Hank simply stated as he put on his clothes.

Cathy watched Hank and sighed. "I'm so sorry Hank."

"Don't be. It's too late for sorry."

Cathy began putting on her own clothes. "Hank, can you come here?"

Hank walked towards her. She kissed him and he didn't resist. After all, why would you resist somebody who just gave you the best night of your life?

"I love you." Cathy told him.

Hank nodded. "Thank you Cathy."

Cathy smiled as she knew that was genuine. Hank put on his goggles, and checked himself in the mirror. As he saw light reflecting off of it, his eyes widened. It was morning, and no doubt Sanford and Deimos were curious to know where he was.

"Fuck!" he yelled.

"What?"

"How the hell am I supposed to explain this to Sanford and Deimos?"

Cathy thought for a while. Finally, she came up with a solution.

"Just tell them that you went to a hotel after you dropped me off to my house and it started raining. They'll believe you."

Hank laughed as the idea flowed through his head. "That isn't a half-bad lie Cathy!"

She nodded. "Just go. They're waiting."

Hank straightened himself out and gave her a quick thumbs up before leaving.

* * *

"Damn, where the hell is Hank!?" Sanford exclaimed.

Deimos said nothing as he continued to eat his breakfast in silence.

"I mean, come on! A **whole** night? The fuck is up with him?" Sanford continued.

Deimos responded with quieter chewing.

Sanford looked at him, puzzled. Deimos was a loud-mouth, especially at these kinds of situations. Whenever Sanford would mention Hank's name yesterday, Deimos would just go dead silent.

"Deimos? Why aren't you saying anything? You're a professional bull-shitter at this kind of stuff!" Sanford yelled at him.

Deimos shrugged. "You know Hank. I wouldn't be surprised if he came back into the house with Satan following him."

'Something's not right here.' Sanford thought.

Sanford narrowed his eyes at him. "Really? But when you yelled at Hank yesterday morning, it sounded **a lot** weirder than what I'm hearing."

Deimos gulped the last piece of large bread in his mouth. He nearly choked, but Sanford was scaring him.

"What? Me? Weird? No Sanford! I didn't do anything! What makes you think that!?" Deimos timidly said.

'Yep. Something's DEFINITELY not right here.' Sanford concluded.

Hank opened the door and crept in. He wanted to go into the bathroom for a shower, and had false hope that Sanford and Deimos were still asleep.

But as soon as he walked in, he met faces with the stiff-lipped, shades-wearing man, and the younger techie with a trench-coat.

"Good morning." Hank greeted them with.

"Good morning Mister Bullshit." Sanford immediately accused.

Hank sighed. "I know you guys were wondering where I was last night. But don't worry, I was in the hotel after the storm passed and Cathy left. Honest."

Sanford and Deimos looked at each other. Hank grinned in the back of his head. They were so easy to fool. But then, Deimos's next sentence stopped him in his tracks.

"I don't believe you for a minute." Deimos countered.

"Neither do I." Sanford agreed.

"Well then, if you don't believe me, then that's your problem, not mine." Hank defended. He was about to go for the shower, but Deimos quickly walked in front of him.

"You smell. Like sex." Deimos pointed out.

Hank felt his pupils shrink. "S-sex?"

"Yeah. Pheromones. They're all over you." Deimos explained as Sanford suddenly widened his eyes when he smelled the odor Hank's body was releasing.

"Look Deimos, I just used the soap in the hotel. You must be mistaken." Hank saved himself with.

Deimos shook his head. "Then why is there still sweat showing through your clothes?"

"That's water."

"Liar. Water doesn't smell."

Hank found himself trapped. He had no choice but to retreat and try again later.

"Just move aside Deimos." Hank shoved Deimos away and walked past by. Suddenly, Sanford tackled Hank from behind and Deimos ran up to him.

"What the fuck!?" Hank yelled.

"Search him Deimos!" Sanford ordered.

Deimos began checking Hank for any evidence. Hank was struggling, which made it harder to find anything. Finally, he pulled out a plastic wrapper and his eyes widened.

"Holy fucking shit!" Deimos screamed as he realized what it was.

Sanford got off of Hank, and went to see what Deimos had found. Hank quickly got on his feet, ready to knock the living shit out of both of them. But he saw the two of them looking at something awfully familiar.

"The hell are you looking at?" Hank stung at them.

Sanford was holding it in his hands. He dropped it in disbelief and froze in his place. So did Deimos.

"You fucking did it, didn't you?" Sanford told Hank.

Hank looked at him, enraged and confused. Finally, he picked up the wrapper and figured out why it had seemed so recognizable.

It was the condom pack Cathy had given him. The pack was ripped open, obviously meaning it was used.

Oh shit.

Shit. Shit. SHIT.

Hank's hands began shaking. "T-that isn't mine! Some fucker must've put it in my pocket!"

Deimos looked up to him with an expression Hank had never seen before: one mixed with confusion and amusement.

"Hank, this all clicks now. You...you did it didn't you! You're not a virgin anymore! You fucked Cathy!" Deimos exclaimed.

Hank shuddered as he heard Deimos shout that out.

Deimos bit his lip and was shaking. He fell on the floor, laughing like he never did before. Sanford stood, still frozen, and his head turning a shade of red, imagining Hank and Cathy..._doing it._

"OH MY FUCKING GOD! THIS IS TOO FREAKING HILARIOUS!" Deimos laughed.

Sanford and Hank were turning redder than ever.

Deimos stood up, and walked in front of Hank. "What position did ya finish her off in? Doggy style? Or did you go for the classic?" Deimos fell back, laughing and holding his sides from exploding.

Sanford couldn't take it anymore either. He burst into tears and laughter after Deimos said this.

"Jebus Hank! At least you used protection man! But for God's sake! Are you kidding me!? I didn't expect it to go all the way to "4th base" that soon!" Sanford teased as well.

Hank just stared in complete embarrassment.

"Hank and Cathy sitting on a bed! F-U-C-K-I-N-G!" Deimos chanted to the "Sitting on the Tree" tune.

Hank clenched his fists. "It's not my fucking fault that she had to get all "hands-on" first!"

Sanford and Deimos stopped laughing, looked at each other, and laughed even more.

Deimos wiped a tear off his face. "See! This is why I watch porn man. You gotta keep the monkey in your pants bro."

Sanford nodded. "Yeah..." Then, he did a double take. "Wait, did you just say you WATCHED porn!?"

'Oh fuck!' Deimos thought.

"Porn? Sanford? Seriously? You thought I said porn? What I meant to say was 'corn'! I didn't say porn man! That's gross!" Deimos desperately covered.

Sanford looked at him. "Corn?"

Deimos face-palmed himself in his mind as he realized what he just said. "Y-yeah man! Corn!"

"So, you're saying that watching corn stops you from sleeping with women?" Sanford continued.

Deimos opened his mouth, then shut it, and yelled out, "Hank fucked Cathy! Hank fucked Cathy! Hank fucked Cathy!" as he ran in circles.

Sanford watched Deimos spin around and around until he felt himself grow dizzy, while Hank slapped his hand on Deimos's mouth.

"Mmph!" Deimos said muffled.

"Hey asshole! Why don't you say that a little bit louder? I bet the kids at AFRICA couldn't hear you yet, retard!" Hank sarcastically told him in his ear.

Sanford shook his head. What the fuck was going on!?

Hank felt his pocket vibrate. Deimos saw another opportunity.

"Heh, looks like your 'little friend' down there didn't finish its job with Cathy." he teased.

Hank said nothing as he punched a huge gaping hole in the wall with his right fist. Sanford and Deimos stared with wide-eyes as Hank's glare seemed to have burnt through his goggles. Then, Hank's expression had turned into a sarcastic-happy.

"Hello?" he said as nicely as he could, already knowing that Cathy was on the other end.

"Hank? Did you tell Sanford and Deimos your 'story' yet?" Cathy put emphasis on the word "story".

Sanford and Deimos heard that and were a bit annoyed that Hank and Cathy had planned to lie to the both of them.

"I did. But the cat's out of the bag. I accidently left the damn condom wrapper in my pocket, and well, they interrogated me. _**Forcefully**_." Hank gritted his teeth after he said that last word.

Cathy was a bit shocked. "Um...oh wow! H-how did they take it?"

Hank shrugged. "It went pretty well."

Deimos started making the masturbation-hand movement silently in front of Hank with a ridiculous facial expression. Hank grabbed Deimos's head and smacked it into the hole he made into the wall hard enough to make a nasty bruise.

Sanford sighed at Deimos (who was slowly slumping down the wall onto the floor). "Idiot doesn't know when to stop a joke..."

Cathy heard the bang and Deimos's moan. "What was that?"

"Oh, we're just renovating the house. So far, we made a big hole into the wall. And that's pretty much it."

Cathy blinked in confusion at the other line. "O-ooookay? How much do they know?"

"Everything. Well, let's just say the basics. I didn't exactly tell the things we did in-depth." he teased.

"Ah-hem." Sanford fake-coughed to tell Hank that he was still there.

Hank realized he was still in their presence. Or, at least in Sanford's. Deimos was out cold.

"Uh, Cathy, you mind if we could talk later?"

"Okay Hank." Cathy replied. She cut the line.

Hank shut off his cell.

"Where'd ya get the cell?" Sanford asked.

"Cathy got it for me. Yesterday was our '1 month anniversary'."

Sanford smirked. "That explains a lot."

Hank sharply looked at him. "If either of you tell anybody, and I mean **ANYBODY**, you're fucking dead."

Sanford nodded. "Chill. I got it. And I'm definitely sure Deimos got the point too. But what're we supposed to do with him now?"

Hank stared down at Deimos.

"Unnnnn..." Deimos moaned.

He turned back to Sanford. "Put this retard to bed."

Sanford nodded. But just then, Deimos's cell rang in his pocket.

Sanford pulled it out and answered. He put it on speaker so Hank could hear as well.

"Deimos?" the other end answered.

"Sorry, he's not conscious at the moment. You're talking to Sanford."

"Sanford? I see. This is Augustus speaking. Is Hank hearing us as we speak?"

"Yeah. He is." Sanford told him.

"Very well then. I have a very _special_ mission for you three. If you can do this raid, you've just taken down your 10th gang."

"Okay. We'll be there in a few hours." Sanford replied.

"Good. And make sure all three of you do this mission. It's one that you guys definitely won't forget."

A click was heard. Sanford closed the phone and placed it back in Deimos's pocket.

"You heard Augustus. Rack up some cash. Mission 10 is in progress." Sanford told Hank.

Hank crossed his arms.

"What's with the attitude?" Sanford questioned.

"Sanford, please tell me that you at least realized something seems really off here." Hank said.

Sanford rolled his eyes. "Hank, quit you're worrying. There's nothing weird going on here. We've worked with Augustus for almost two months now, and he hasn't betrayed us since."

Hank shook his head and walked off to his room for the case and to get his equipment ready. Sanford was too blinded to see it. He always accepted things as they seemed. But what things seem and what things are really made of, are two different concepts.

Sanford sighed at Hank's stubbornness. He glanced at Deimos, and picked him up.

"Come on you pervert. Gotta put you back in bed."

"Corn Sanford...it was corn..." Deimos mumbled unconsciously, as if he actually heard Sanford.

"Yeah, yeah sure. But we gotta do some shit later on you dumbass. So rest up while you can." Sanford ordered.

"Unnn..."

Sanford was right. Rest up while you can Deimos.

Because you're in for a **big** shock.

* * *

A/N: Not bad. I needed this chapter though, to fill in the blanks from Chapter 20. Also, I made this today only because IT'S MADNESS DAY BABY! WOOHOO!

For those of you who don't know what Madness Day is, you need to get your Madness Combat-Facts in order. Madness Day takes place every September the 22nd, where users submit their Madness related games, fan-art, and ultra-epic, non-canon Madness Combat movies. Best of all, Krinkels uploads his annual Madness Combat episodes on Newgrounds every Madness Day, and I'm also expecting some updates on his game (which is in the featured games' list on Newgrounds's homepage) Madness: Project Nexus.

So far, it's 9:30 for me, and I'm still waiting anxiously for Krinkels's epic continuation of the cliffhanger he left all of us off with in Madness Combat 10. I'm a bit disappointed I still can't find anything from him, but I bet it will be coming soon! Like, maybe 2 or 3 days later at most. But no worries. It's incredibly, INCREDBILY, hard to make a Madness Combat movie out of Adobe Flash, so I ain't bitchin'. Ah well. At least I got to update on the only holiday Madness Combat celebrates.

Well, that's all folks. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Kagami, thanks for inspiring me to continue today, and I'm satisfied with how this story is going so far. I am currently thinking about your crossover idea, and I am a Naruto fan as well, so things can go as planned. So far, I'm thinking about doing it when Naruto's still 12 and not in Shippuden (since I have more knowledge of the Naruto before Shippuden than after because of all the new episodes still running). But not right now. Gotta focus on this first. And then, let's go.

Also, Invader, thanks for reviewing again! I'm not upset at all, and I appreciate it that you came back again! Thanks to you too dude, and happy Madness Day to both of ya!

You guys, and I mean all of you, are the best crowd any fanfiction-writer can have, and I hope you all enjoy this piece! I'm putting all the effort I can here, and I'm always watching on whether or not people like this so far, so keep showing your colors! You guys are awesome!

Later, and check out Newgrounds for your healthy dosage of Ultra-Violence via Madness Combat. Happy Madness Day!

~Spirit9871


	22. Burned by Trickery

Chapter 22: Burned by Trickery

* * *

Deimos rubbed his sore head as he walked with Hank and Sanford to the Nevada police station. A couple of hours ago, he was forcefully awoken by his two roommates: one that had knocked him out by slamming his head into the wall, and the other, in his opinion, an extreme jackass.

Sanford had already briefed him on what was going on. Deimos was upset because he wanted to take a break today. Still, it was their 10th raid, and after this, he definitely has a fair reason to relax from all the madness.

They found themselves in front of Langstone's bar again. As they went in, there were the usual customers sitting in their seats gambling, talking, and drinking. The customers didn't seem to mind anymore about Hank, Sanford, and Deimos. The trio had come in so many times that it became a schedule. But they were cautious to make sure not to mess with any of the three men.

Langstone looked exhausted, as if he was working tirelessly to quench the thirst of every man that walked into his bar. He couldn't retire; this was the only thing keeping him alive.

Hank saw Augustus, sitting casually behind the pool table. Strangely enough, Augustus's right hand was wrapped in bandages as if he had cut it wide open. But that was of no concern to any of them; they had come for the information, not for a friendly reunion.

Augustus looked up at them with that same calm, confident, look he always used.

"I see gentlemen, that you are interested in what I have in store for the three of you." Augustus stated.

Hank sat down. "Cut the high-class crap. Just give us what we need to know."

Augustus stuck out his hand. Deimos pulled out the map and placed it in his open palm. Augustus carefully examined the paper as Hank, Sanford, and Deimos watched his every move carefully. To their shock, instead of marking a building in Nevada like he always did, he placed his finger on the outskirts of the city. It was nothing but a patch of grass.

"There's nothing on the map." Sanford said.

Augustus chuckled. "Oh no, there may be no structure in this map, but there really is something here. It's a large warehouse that had been abandoned for a while, which is why this new map you're using doesn't show it. A long time ago, this used to be the place where they developed those old-fashioned phones you'd see in museums. Now, with the advances in technology, nobody needed those old pieces of junk other than collectors, so business just shut down. A gang took over here, and, well, you know the rest."

"What gang?" Hank questioned.

Augustus sat for a few seconds, and finally answered: "'The Black Aces'".

Deimos stared at Augustus's directions. "When do we attack?"

"Go during the early evening. This particular group doesn't mind the time; nobody will discover them since they're not even on the map." Augustus responded.

Hank looked down. He glanced at Augustus's covered hand.

Augustus saw what Hank was looking at. "I bet you're wondering why I have this on. Well, to answer your question, I accidently cut myself by shattering a beer bottle and scraping the glass."

Hank was still suspicious. It was a believable response, but he never trusted Augustus. Hank always felt uneasy near him.

"Is that all you have to tell us?" Hank said, ignoring Augustus's last statement.

Augustus nodded.

"Good. Let's get the hell out of here." Hank told Sanford and Deimos. Deimos slid the briefcase full of cash to Augustus across the pool table. As they were walking out, Augustus called out to Hank.

"Hank, do you have any housing insurance?" he said.

Hank narrowed his eyebrows, but didn't turn around. "What does that matter to you?"

Augustus grinned. "Oh, no reason. It's just that wildfires are getting more and more common around Nevada these days."

Hank said nothing back. It was true, but why would he care?

"Just worry about the stuff up your own ass Augustus, and I'll worry about mine." Hank told him as he walked out in front of Sanford and Deimos.

Augustus shifted his gaze downwards and shut his eyes.

* * *

Hank silently put on his equipment in the station while Sanford and Deimos talked to Harley. Harley still had that grudge on Hank, and ignored him completely. Hank merely did the same.

"...our sources say that we should hunt down this gang called 'The Black Aces'." Deimos finished, as he pointed out the location specified to the Chief. But instead of a nod, Deimos saw Harley have a confused expression on his face.

"Are you sure he said that name specifically?" Harley asked.

"Yeah, why?" Sanford returned.

"It's just that...I've never heard of a group like that in my whole career. And _I'm_ supposed to be the _Chief of police _in this town!" Harley exclaimed.

Deimos shrugged. "Maybe you just checked wrong. It could be possible that this is a newly-formed gang ya know."

Harley shook his head. "I'm not honestly sure about this...Would you like any support from my men before you go off?"

Sanford put up a hand in response. "Please Chief, we'll be fine. The three of us can handle ourselves better than any of your men can."

Harley sighed. "If that's what you want, then fine. But remember, you're working for me. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, we got'cha the first time around." Deimos said.

Hank loaded his dart guns. He was ready, and so were his two allies in combat.

"Let's go." he merely ordered as he walked out.

Deimos nodded and followed him. Sanford stood in front of the Chief.

"Chief, are you still upset at Hank? I mean, come on! How long are you going to keep this up?" Sanford said.

Harley frowned. "As long as I live if I feel like it. I have so much controversy running around in this town that I can't control it anymore. Hank screwed me over, and if not, everybody else who lives in Nevada."

"Whatever. If you say so." Sanford left Harley with.

Sanford sat in the back because Deimos had already claimed shotgun. Deimos checked their supplies and gave Hank a quick nod of approval. Hank faced the road and drove off. It wouldn't take long until they would reach the warehouse. As soon as they saw the "Leaving so Soon? Come back Again!" sign for their city, they knew that they were close.

It would only be a matter of time until things start to go wild.

* * *

Hank, Sanford, and Deimos parked themselves a few miles from the warehouse. They hid their vehicle behind a large rock formation. It was a rocky terrain they had to walk across, but they could handle it. Finally, they saw a large rectangular object in the distance. As soon as they came into range, Sanford pulled out his dart sniper went down on the ground. Hank and Deimos waited for him to tell them the status up front, but weren't given a response. Sanford shifted his angles, but was a bit taken back.

"Huh..." he said.

"What's the matter? Do you see anything?" Deimos asked his partner.

"That's exactly the problem. There's nobody guarding the outside of the building." Sanford explained.

Deimos, shocked by the answer, pulled out his own sniper and looked through the scope. Just like Sanford had said, the front of the large building was deserted.

"That's weird...usually there's somebody keeping an eye out for people in gangs." Deimos said out loud.

Hank shrugged. Sanford and Deimos watched him walk by them. "I ain't complaining. This just makes our jobs easier."

Sanford and Deimos smirked as they realized he was right, and coolly followed him. By the time they had walked into the warehouse, it was evening, just like Augustus had told them. It was pitch black inside, and visibility was almost to zero.

The trio put on their night-vision goggles and looked at the surroundings around them, only to find no gangsters.

Deimos kicked an old can into the wall. It echoed a few seconds later.

"Hello? Is there anybody in here!?" Deimos shouted.

Sanford punched Deimos to the arm.

"Ow! The hell was that for San!" Deimos yelled at him, rubbing the bruise.

"You idiot! Are you _**trying**_ to get us killed!?" Sanford whispered loudly.

"Well it's not like there's anybody in here! I'm bored man! I came here for some action! Not to walk around some abandoned factory!" Deimos complained.

"Hey, I'm not enjoying this myself. Where the hell is everyone?" Sanford questioned.

Hank looked around behind large crates and equipment, but found nobody, while Deimos paced a few more steps, until he heard a loud squeak and accidently fired his gun. Hank and Sanford immediately turned towards him.

"Shit!" he yelled. "Damn rats!"

Sanford gritted his teeth. "You really are trying to get us killed, aren't you?"

"Hey piss off man! You'd do the same thing if you were in my place!" Deimos defended.

"Shh! Shut it you two!" Hank said. He heard some faint muffled sounds coming near him.

"You heard that?" Hank asked the other two.

"Yeah! Finally! Someone to fight with!" Deimos cheered.

Sanford and Deimos followed Hank's lead with their rifles up defensively. When Hank made a right turn behind a crate, he saw a woman turn her face away from him in fear. She was tied up with rope and cloth covering her mouth; shivering and sweating in distress.

"What the..." Sanford trailed off as he and Hank went to her aid. The brunette haired-woman seemed to be directing them to something by moving her pupils. Deimos saw this and turned to his right. His heart nearly stopped from what he saw.

About 20 barrels of TNT; all stacked near and on top each other. A fuse was slowly hissing towards the stack. There was no time to stop it now; it was going.

_Fast._

Hank and Sanford untied her and stared wide-eyed at Deimos's find. Deimos slowly backed away a few steps in shock and stumbled.

"HOLY SHIT!" Sanford yelled.

The woman finally got control of herself. "That's what I've been trying to tell you! It's a trap! They're going to blow us all into pieces!"

Hank sharply turned to the both of his roommates. "EVERYBODY! GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE NOW!"

They all made a run to the exit, the fizzing of the fuse slowly counting down their doom. Even after making it outside, they still ran for their lives, knowing that they were still in danger.

Soon, the factory behind them exploded and they were knocked down by the momentum of the explosion. Deimos turned on his back and saw debris fly into the air and right down to them.

"Sanford!" Deimos cried, "Look out!"

Sanford turned and saw a huge pile of metal aimed straight for his head. He rolled over to his side, missing death by inches as the debris hit the ground.

* * *

Chief Harley sat anxiously as he quickly organized his paperwork with his cell-phone near-at-hand. If Hank, Sanford, and Deimos were finished, the police were ready.

He stared out of the window near him. Still, Deimos's description of "The Black Aces" had bothered him. If this really was true, then the police force has A LOT of investigating to do, as well as catching up on what exactly is and isn't terrorizing Nevada.

However, what had disturbed him even more was that Deimos had said they had received their information from an anonymous source. Who the hell in Nevada knew more than the police force themselves?

Harley decided it was best if he asked the trio when they returned, regardless of what they would say back to him.

He turned back to his desk in satisfaction of his plan and stapled some papers together. But his thoughts were interrupted as he felt an earth-shattering rumble shake the floor.

Harley dropped the papers in his hands in shock.

"What the hell was that!?" he yelled.

Some other officers went outside and pointed at a large explosion going off in the distance. Even citizens that had felt the odd event came out of their houses to see what in God's name was going on.

Harley ran out and saw the debris from the abandoned warehouse fly into the air, down to the ground. His eyes widened as he suddenly realized Hank, Sanford, and Deimos were there. He pointed to 8 of his best men.

"Get your asses to the squad cars now! Move it!" he harshly ordered.

The policemen scrambled to their vehicles and drove off speeds over the lawful limit.

* * *

Deimos got up and dusted off his clothes. He saw Hank slowly stand as well and Sanford helping up the poor lady who was caught in this disaster.

"Jebus Christ! Who the hell did this to you!?" Sanford yelled at her.

She shook her head, clearly crying from her traumatic experience. "I don't know...some men came by and just ambushed me as I was walking. They tied me up and set those explosives next to me, mumbling something about you guys."

Hank and Deimos walked over to her. "Can you at least tell us your name?" Hank asked.

"It's Melissa. Melissa Evanson." she told them.

Sanford clenched his fists. "This is one fucked up mess somebody wanted to put us through."

"Do you think that 'The Black Aces' knew we were coming?" Deimos asked him.

Sanford shook his head. "No. There's no way they could've just planned all this perfectly in a matter of hours. Somebody's screwing us over."

Hank nodded in agreement. He turned behind him as he heard sirens.

"Well, looks like we got quite a bit of explaining to do." he told them.

Sanford, Deimos, and Melissa saw the police lights blazing in the distance past Hank.

Harley came out of the car, dashing to them. "What the fuck was that!?"

Hank shrugged coolly as if nothing had happened. "I don't know. Somebody must've set that trap for us."

Harley stared at him, breathing heavily, then back to Sanford, Deimos, and Melissa.

"This isn't some kind of joke! I told you three that there's something strange going on here, and you nearly get yourselves killed!" Harley yelled.

Deimos chuckled. "Chief, we live in Nevada; the state that used to be known for its flying whales and killer clowns. This isn't strange compared to the shit that happened before."

Harley exhaled deeply, closing his eyes and trying to lower his blood pressure. He opened his eyes again and glanced at Melissa. "Who's the woman?"

Hank turned to see her face. "Her? Yeah, apparently, the bastards who rigged the place with explosives tied her there as a distraction to blow us all to hell. Lucky Deimos was able to see the damn barrels before we were blasted into smithereens. And as for her name, she's Melissa."

Melissa came up front to reveal herself. "Melissa Evanson..." she said in a low-voice, still shaken by the kidnapping.

Harley nodded and called for one of his men to escort her home to her family. He turned to the three of them.

"This is a total disaster. Things were bad enough after Carlos's suicide. And now this? We've got a full scale problem in our hands."

Sanford looked at him sternly, "Whatever person or people did this is going to show their faces one way or another. Looks like they're not thinking about hiding anymore."

They all agreed on that. But just then, Harley's walkie-talkie went off.

"Sir, there is a raging fire going off in the city." the man on the intercom said.

"Give me an address." Harley replied.

After he was given directions to the fire, Hank, Sanford, and Deimos's eyes widened.

"That's where we live!" Deimos shouted.

The three of them then ran to their car and Sanford stomped his foot onto the accelerator. Sure enough, as they drove back home, they saw smoke billow into the air and fire trucks nearby trying to extinguish the flames engulfing their house.

They slowly got out of their seats and walked near their flaming house, stunned. This can't be happening. They nearly got killed because of some psycho blowing up the warehouse, and now their house was on fire.

Deimos suddenly laughed uneasily. "Heh...well...at least I got my computer out of that mess..."

Sanford tapped his shoulder. "Uh...Deimos? Didn't you forget it in the house before you left?"

Deimos's smile had melted into a gaping frown after Sanford's wake-up call.

"Oh my God! No! My laptop!" Deimos screamed as he ran towards the house. Sanford tried to contain him.

"Deimos get a hold of yourself man!" Sanford yelled.

Deimos realized Sanford was right. He calmed down. But just as Sanford was going to loosen his grip, Deimos's eyes widened.

"SCARLET!"

Sanford held him tighter as Deimos struggled out of his grasp. The kid was a professional at breaking loose of people's grips, so it was hard for Sanford to keep Deimos from running into the flames.

"SCARLET! BABY DON'T LEAVE ME! DADDY'S COMING FOR YOU!"

"Deimos! She's gone!" Sanford told him loudly over the rushing water.

Deimos fell to his knees and sobbed. "Everything I cared for in this world is gone..."

Sanford looked at him quizzically. "What are you talking about? Hank and I are still here."

Deimos glanced back up at Sanford, then covered his face with his hands and sobbed again.

"Everything I cared for in this world is gone..." he repeated.

Sanford smacked the top of his head. "Idiot!"

Meanwhile, Hank watched the fire from a distance in nonchalance. Of course, he was more angry than upset. But just then, Hank noticed there was a sticky note that miraculously stayed put onto the mailbox. Hank walked over to it and picked it up.

_"You should've gotten insurance."_ it said.

Hank crumpled the note and tossed it to the ground.

Augustus is gonna die.

* * *

A/N: Oh shit! There's gonna be some smack going downhill from here! Surprised? No? Well, I don't really expect you to. Like I said before, I gave a lot of hints about the plot. I hope it isn't spoiled for you just yet, because there's still a lot more twists coming up next!

By the way, I don't know why, but Krinkels still didn't make episode 11 of Madness Combat. I hope he's at least close to finished by now, otherwise we won't be seeing MC for a while. The good news is though, that Krinkels made a new Madness Combat Incident on Newgrounds called "Incident 101A". It's sorta not that awesome and epic in terms of Madness Combat, but God, you gotta love Chesyre's music. It's probably better than snorting crack.

I'm a bit disappointed to see that some of my favorite Madness Combat Games aren't getting revamped, but I suppose more will be coming soon. They did add a couple of new movies today though, so that's a plus right there. Ah well. If any of you see Madness Combat 11 come out, then please let me know so. I love Madness Combat, there's no arguing it.

Anyways, thank you for reading Chapter 22 of this story. I hope you enjoyed this plot twist as well since I wanna give you the best MC fanfic you'll read for a while. If it's not that good, then I'm sorry. I'm doing my best to keep you all entertained and I will fix my flaws.

Thanks you guys, and keep reading!

P.S. I just found out that if you write some names with "Mister" in its abbreviated form, the name and the "Mister" actually disappears, which explains why it said "Good morning ." when Sanford "accused" Hank. This was a mistake on this site's part, and I hope they will notice that soon enough with their updates. Not complaining though, I ain't some bitch.

Chapter 23 will be up soon.

~Spirit9871


	23. The Truth Hurts

Chapter 23: The Truth Hurts

* * *

Hank walked down the large pile of ash he once called his home. He crouched down, stuck his hand in a small mound, and watched as the dusty-black remains of his past trickled down the openings of his fingers.

Hank stood back up and watched Sanford and Deimos look around for anything else that survived the destruction. Sanford shook his head as he couldn't find anything of any value the fire had left behind while Deimos desperately ran back and forth for his two most valuable possessions: his laptop and the machinegun he nicknamed "Scarlet". Deimos sighed in frustration as he finally accepted the fact that nothing was left.

The only thing the trio had were each other, the clothes on their backs, some dart-guns, and supplies they were going to use in the raid. Luckily, their surplus of money they stored in the bank would help them through this mess.

Hank had already shown Sanford and Deimos the note and immediately explained what it meant. When Sanford and Deimos understood the hidden message, their eyes widened as Hank's suspicions were right.

Augustus was a traitor.

Hank wanted to storm into the bar and knock Augustus's lights out, but Sanford and Deimos convinced him to at least help find some shelter they can stay under. Although it was a risky move to let Augustus off like that, it was only temporary, and Hank knew that he still had some time.

* * *

Eventually, they did find a hotel to stay in, but they had barely anything left to put into their room. 3 beds were lined up for each of them, with a bathroom nearby.

Deimos cringed at the smell of his new "home". He can already tell this was going to be a rough couple of months as they would wait for their real house to be rebuilt, but there was no other option. Sanford didn't like it much either, but unlike Deimos, he didn't complain.

Hank pulled out his cell phone. He dialed Cathy's number and realized that it was best if she found out now and avoid the confusion later.

Cathy picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Cathy. How are you?"

Cathy was a bit uneasy after Hank said that, knowing that he wasn't the type of person to greet others that way.

"Good. How about you?"

"I'm fine I guess. You busy?"

"No, why?"

"Because I'm sorta in a tight situation here..." Hank scratched the back of his head.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, for starters, my evening went just _perfect._ I went on a mission with Sanford and Deimos, only to find myself almost blown into pieces, and just to make things even better, our house was burned down the minute we came back." Hank explained.

Silence. Hank didn't understand why Cathy hadn't said anything back like: "You poor thing!" or "You can stay at my house if you'd like!"

"Hank?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you just say that your house was burned down?"

"Yeah."

More silence.

"Hank, I have to go. Now." Cathy suddenly said.

"What? Wh-"

"I'm sorry, I just have to."

A click ended their call. Hank stared in shock at what he just heard. It was as if he had insulted her by saying that. Hank redialed her, thinking it was a prank, but he would only hear the ringing of the phone and nobody answering. He immediately knew why.

Cathy had blocked him.

Hank shook his head. Unbelievable.

Sanford saw Hank in this state. "What's the matter?"

"I don't know. Cathy just hung me up right after I told her our house burned down." Hank responded.

Sanford pulled out the last smoke grenade from the bag with their supplies and stacked it in the corner. "Who knows? There has to be a reason why."

Yes, there just had to be a reason why.

But not one logical reason would come into Hank's mind. Instead, worry and fear began to form.

Hank stood up. He took Sanford's keys to the car, the cell-phone Cathy gave him, and a smoke grenade Sanford had piled up. Sanford watched Hank quickly gather these supplies and walk to the door.

"Where you going?" Sanford asked.

"I'm going to give Cathy a visit. Face-to-face."

Hank walked out as Deimos walked in from the bathroom, zipping his pants.

"Wow! I didn't know they had wash-lets that clean your asshole after you take a crap!" Deimos exclaimed.

Sanford sat there near the pile of items, frozen for a few seconds. Then, he turned to Deimos.

"Are you serious? That's the best you can come up with after taking a dump for ten minutes?"

Deimos shrugged. "Hey, that ass-washer is pretty awesome. It's like snorting crack, but from your anus."

Sanford turned beet-red in fury and embarrassment. "Change the subject Deimos, before I make you!"

"Alright, alright, jeez. Where's Hank?" Deimos questioned.

Sanford looked at the door left wide open as Hank exited. He walked over and locked it shut.

"He went to Cathy's to talk after she hung up on him." Sanford said.

Deimos smirked. "Heh, I bet he's gonna-"

"Deimos, stop. I already know what you're going to say. Keep your perverted fantasies to yourself and the sluts online." Sanford cut off.

"Sanford, I wasn't-"

"NO DEIMOS. YOU WERE. NOBODY GAINS SEXUAL SATISFACTION BY STARING AT A VEGETABLE, YOU RETARD."

Deimos raised his index finger up. "Actually, corn is technically a fruit if it's-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP DEIMOS!"

Deimos kept his mouth shut.

* * *

Hank drove quickly to Cathy's house. After getting lost for a couple of minutes, he finally saw the familiar structure in the distance. As he parked outside, he noticed that it was oddly quiet.

He walked to her front door and rang the bell. No answer. He rang it again. Still no answer after 5 minutes of waiting.

Hank walked back and looked up. "Cathy! Are you there!? Open up!"

Only silence greeted him. Hank got pissed. He walked up and was going to shake the doorknob violently. But instead of finding it locked, it opened up as he lightly pushed through the entrance. The door was left ajar the whole time.

Hank was appalled. Cathy would never leave her door open to strangers like that. He walked in and saw that her house was strangely clean. It was as if she had cleaned the whole place up just before leaving.

Hank walked up the stairs.

"Cathy!" he called out. Nobody would answer.

Hank opened the door to her room and saw that it was a mess. There were papers everywhere and drawers opened left and right. Cathy seemed to have been in a rush.

He investigated more closely. There had to be something that could give him a hint for her behavior. Just then, he saw a small, purple booklet lying on her bed. Hank picked it up and skimmed through. There were only 5 pages written in it though.

* * *

_Page 1: I couldn't believe what's going on. I finally met __**him**__ after so long. I begged, but __**he**__ didn't seem to care. __**He**__ made a promise though; a promise that I had to keep. Maybe things would go back to the way they were afterwards if I do what __**he**__ says? _

_ I don't know, and I don't care. I just have to write this down. I can't say his name here. I'm scared somebody besides me will read this. I'll only bold the words I use when I refer to __**him**__ just to remember. _

* * *

Hank read the paragraph. Already, he could sense something dark in the diary he was holding.

Something that he wouldn't like.

* * *

_Page 2: Everything went just as planned. The park. The rape. Everything. I did my role as the helpless girl to be saved by my knight in shining armor. It was staged so perfectly that it was too easy to finish off my job. _

_ I gave him the shot. It should be rushing through his veins by now._

* * *

Hank shakily held the book in his hand. The whole raping incident...was a lie? No. It just wasn't. But would Cathy actually infect him with something malicious and leave him to die from the inside-out? Even after he had given her so much?

Hank felt himself grow cold. His blood was turning to ice, just like it did 10 years ago. His trust was shattering, but only denial and false hope was keeping it alive.

He had to keep reading. This was all just a set-up. It had to be. If Cathy were to backstab him now;

Then there really is no meaning to live anymore.

* * *

_Page 3: The next part of the plan was set. I went to his house and gained the trust of him and his friends. He met me at the park later this evening. I was ready, rehearsing my lines over and over again. __**He **__had given them to me. _

_ But...I felt weird when I was with Hank. I didn't know why, but I told him everything. My father, Dan, even my mother... Why did I do it, I don't know. I must've been so lonely to talk to someone...Someone who can understand me. The worst part of the whole thing was that Hank had actually comforted me after I told him my story. I cried for the first time in years. _

_ When I came back to __**him**__, __**he **__was angry. __**He**__ called me useless and a failure. I was supposed to collect information on Hank J. Wimbleton, but instead I bonded with him. _

_**He**__ told me he would give me one last chance. Or I die. What do I do!?_

* * *

Hank noticed that there was a tear stain dried into the paper. He flipped the page, hardly believing what he was reading.

* * *

_Page 4: I kept dating Hank. Or, "interrogating" as I lied. Hank was so good to me. I wished I could've met him sooner. But I can't say that I fell in love with him...can I? _

_ We had so much fun in the bar. Hank got drunk and started to break-dance! Break-dance! I didn't care whether or not it was humiliating, but I was happy. Happy I had strong arms to help me up again._

_ The guilt is still killing me._

* * *

It was a nightmare. Hank didn't want to go on. Did she actually love him this whole time? Or was it all a scheme for this "somebody" she keeps writing about? He wanted to stop, but he had no choice.

"Keep going." he said to himself.

Hank turned the page.

* * *

_Page 5: Hank. Oh God. Hank. He trusted me so much for the past few weeks, that I feel worse and worse. I took him to a restaurant and he paid for our dinner. Then it started raining and we got stuck into my house. He did __**it**__ with me; I let him. It was the best night of my life._

_ Hank told me his own childhood the morning after in bed; something he didn't dare trust to anybody. Except me. When he left, I cried. Cried because I was so ashamed and I was a dirty liar._

_ Why did I fall in love with him? WHY!? It'll kill him if he found out what I was doing behind his back!_

* * *

Hank felt his throat dry up. He did tell her everything; everything that he thought would stay secret to him and only himself. God, why was he so stupid!?

Cathy was a _spy_ this whole time.

_**"YoUrE fRIEnDs ARe cLoSE, BUt YOuRe eNeMieS ArE CLoSeR..."**_

Oh God. That's what they meant...well whoever "they" were. It was a warning that Hank didn't take seriously. And he was going to pay for it. Because he knew the truth:

Cathy never loved him, no matter how many times she wrote it down in her book.

Worst of all, Hank had loved her. And had trusted her. He was going to die as a love-struck fool.

Hank noticed that there was something written behind this page. It was faint, but readable.

He flipped it and saw handwriting that looked nothing like Cathy's:

_YOU FELL FOR IT._

Hank read the sentence again and again, not realizing that there was something shuffling behind him, jumping out of the closet.

But before Hank could turn his head, it was already too late. A large, metallic object had made contact with his skull.

**BAM!**

* * *

Deimos and Sanford watched the television in awe. They were reporting something that had quickly brought up their memories of Carlos.

A dead body. Found in a dumpster. And what made it worse: It was the body of a police officer.

The police were everywhere; trying to stop the crowd of people from rushing into the crime scene. The method of death was clear though. He had been shot in the head and spine. Officers could tell from the damage inflicted on the body. Or, at least what was left of it.

Sanford turned to Deimos. "We have to call Hank."

Deimos nodded and pulled out his phone. He dialed the number Hank had given him, but there was no answer.

"He's not picking up." Deimos said.

"What? There's no way Hank could've just let your call slide. He had your ID marked!" Sanford exclaimed.

"You sure he didn't leave his cell behind?" Deimos questioned.

"Positive. I saw Hank take it with him before he left." Sanford answered.

Deimos stared at the floor for a while. He picked up the remote and shut off the reporter that was disrupting his train of thought.

"You don't think he..." Deimos trailed.

"No." Sanford immediately said, "There's no way somebody would've taken him down. Not Hank J. Wimbleton."

Deimos shook his head. "Well, you have any other explanations?"

Sanford bit his lip. He didn't.

"Isn't there a way you can track Hank down?" Sanford asked.

Deimos grinned. "You're underestimating me if you think I can't. It might take a while with a phone instead of a computer, but I think I can do it."

Sanford nodded. "Start that bitch up then."

Deimos pulled out his cell-phone and started working on some hacking techniques he used. It was fairly simple; his phone was advanced and had WIFI, so it would be the same thing like using a computer, only smaller and a bit slower. Finally, Deimos did it.

"Got it!" Deimos yelled triumphantly.

A red dot popped up on the screen. Deimos gasped as he realized where it was pointing to.

Sanford looked at him, puzzled. "What?"

"See for yourself." Deimos said as he handed Sanford his cell-phone.

Sanford stared at him for a while, a bit annoyed that Deimos didn't just tell him what was going on. He angrily sighed as he picked up the cell and looked at the screen. Sanford's eyes widened.

Langstone Bar.

* * *

A/N: Sorry that chapter was a bit short, but I hoped you guys liked it! I will be uploading the next chapter as soon as I can to repay the favor.

Another epic cliffhanger! This was a pretty fast-paced chapter, but I think you guys can catch up with it. Thank you all for following this story! It really makes me happy to see that people actually appreciate my work!

I just found out that had recently made an archive for Madness Combat. No, I'm not talking about CountSheep's community. I'm actually talking about a real category like Sonic The Hedgehog or Naruto. Just go to Cartoons archive, then change the "Top 200" filter to "M" (for archives that start with M, since "Madness Combat begins with that letter, no shit), and you'll find it. I'm not sure whether or not I should change this story's category from Misc. Cartoons to Cartoons -Madness Combat because it could affect my view count and how readers can find my story. Nonetheless, if I do, then I promise to tell you guys about it. Still, there's only one story in that archive and that's by this guy who just recently joined. So I'm most likely gonna stay here instead of move. Not until I have quite a couple of stories up.

Anyways, back to what I like to call: "Reviewers' Credit" where I talk about the reviews I receive in the Review Column, regardless if it is from a guest or a real account user (I don't believe in guest discrimination).

Xenophobic, thanks dude! I really needed that information at some point! I'm using it for a big part in my story, and all credit for it will go to ya! Really appreciate it bro, and I hope you like this story!

Also, Invader's giving some really helpful intel on the MC series. Krinkels is almost ready with MC 11, so I can't wait! Thanks go to you too!

Read and Review you guys! Comments, concerns, questions; I'll answer them all as long as I'm still not retired!

Thanks, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Final Salvation!

~Spirit9871

P.S. It would be great if you guys can use real accounts instead of guest reviews. Why is because I can't respond to you personally if you use guest access. I could review you back via the Review Column, but it would mess up the count. Also, I'm responding to guest reviews in my Author's Notes at the end of each chapter, but if this story ends and you leave behind a guest review, I will most likely not be able to respond back to it. Just wanna give you guys a heads-up on that.

Later!


	24. The Beginning of the End

Chapter 24: The Beginning of the End

* * *

_"Wake up..." _

Hank groaned. His head was ringing violently and was throbbing with pain from the side. Hank didn't want to open his eyes.

_"Wake up..._"

Hank turned his face away slowly. The bright light was killing him even with his closed eyes.

_"Wake up!"_

Hank felt a fist hit him in the cheek powerfully. His eyes snapped open as his head swung to his left side.

Hank saw the figure in front of him. It was a blur since he just came out of unconsciousness forcefully.

"Who...?" Hank muttered.

Hank finally felt his eyes clear up. As soon as he realized who he was facing, he narrowed his eyes.

"Augustus."

Augustus grinned. "So you're finally back."

Hank looked around him. He realized that his surroundings were strangely familiar, and finally realized he was at Langstone Bar. Langstone was rapidly cleaning his beer glasses, trying to ignore the fact that Hank J. Wimbleton was trapped in his bar.

Hank tried to stand up, but he realized his hands and legs were tightly attached to a special kind of metallic chair they would use to shock criminals to death with.

'Damn it!' Hank thought.

Augustus sat upright. "Do you finally know where you are?"

"Yeah, the bar with you; a shit-scented asshole that makes this place just a bit more special." Hank mocked.

Augustus chuckled. He put his elbows on the pool table in front of the both of them.

"Oh Hank. Your sense of humor never ceases to amuse me. But, this isn't a laughing matter. Especially for you." Augustus looked at Hank with ferocity.

Hank tried jerking himself out of the chair.

"It's of no use trying to escape. That chair was specially made for prisoners of war being interrogated and tortured by their enemies. Luckily for you, I have no intentions of taking your life. _Yet._" Augustus explained.

Hank glared at Augustus.

"You fucking backstabber. We trusted you, but you decided to nearly blow us to pieces and burned our house down. We even gave extra just for you telling the truth." Hank spat.

Augustus laughed.

"Do you think I honestly care about the _money_? Your cash is merely surplus to what we already have."

Hank was a bit surprised by Augustus's last statement.

"Who do you mean by "we"?" Hank questioned.

Augustus stood up, walking towards the window near him.

"You'd be surprised at some of things you will witness in the next couple of hours Hank J. Wimbleton." Augustus darkly told him, as he stared outside.

Hank watched Augustus's movements. He glanced down at the contraption stopping him from beating the living hell out of Augustus.

Augustus turned his head back to Hank struggling to break free.

"Five-hundred, fifty-five men. And that was just a rough estimate to the number of people you've killed in your career." Augustus said.

* * *

Spirit9871: (Thanks Xenophobic for the info!)

* * *

Hank didn't say anything back.

"Nevada seems to have started appreciating its newly formed trio of heroes, defending it from utter destruction. But that will never erase you from your status, _**murderer.**_" Augustus continued.

Hank gritted his teeth.

"Where is she?" Hank asked, ignoring Augustus's last insult.

"Hm? Oh you mean the blonde _bitch_?" Augustus answered casually.

Hank shook in his chair violently to break loose after that last word.

Augustus laughed again. "Why do you care so much? She doesn't love you. Just like that diary you read said; it was merely a plan, not a love-affair. And that night where you two slept together? All lies. Do not worry. She isn't dead either. But if she gets in my way, she will be."

Hank stopped moving and cursing when Augustus stated his and Cathy's night.

"H-how?"

"Like I said, you'd be surprised at how much you'll witness in the next couple of hours." Augustus cut-off.

Augustus turned back to the window.

"Do you know what I love about the human race? How lightly they treat war and people. But to them, their economy is worth more than a city of people begging to live. Money. It was the one thing men like the Sheriff you had killed, overvalued. As a species of mammals that inhabit the Earth, we are merely blinded by the simplest things. Money is one of them. Why? Because people would _kill_ just for those green pieces of paper."

Augustus turned back to Hank completely.

"Money is the reason why I don't have a family."

"Money is the reason why this world is so corrupt."

"Money is the reason why I am standing in front of a man, struggling to find the meaning of his existence after being labeled a killer by the world around him."

"The world must be cleansed of its impurities. And I don't mean just money. I mean all Humans. It's time for a new rule to rise, and for the old to die."

Hank stared at Augustus. Augustus was right, but a new world power? It wasn't possible.

"You really think that one man can take over the world, just like that?" Hank said.

Augustus looked at him, amused.

"Heavens, no. Nobody can. Any fool knows that. To be powerful, you must have power over others." Augustus replied.

"But you have no power you drunk haggard." Hank reminded.

Augustus crossed his arms.

"You're wrong Hank. I have the most powerful army of all. The army that hid in the shadows of society for three years, waiting just for this moment. Training to extents that human bodies were not capable of. Unfortunately, this dream was tarnished by another agency. One that had the most powerful man in the world at its arsenal and brilliant combatants as soldiers."

Hank's eyes widened. No...Augustus wasn't talking about..._them._

"They're all wiped out. They don't exist anymore." Hank said, with some fear showing in his voice.

Augustus smirked.

"Well then, let me prove you wrong."

Augustus spun the chair backwards and turned Hank to the direction behind him. Hank's eyes widened and he gaped.

A.T.P. and 1337 agents with blue visors, staring at his face, in a long, straight line across the wall.

* * *

Sanford and Deimos ran. Hank took the car, so they had no choice but to go by foot.

"Sanford! Pick up the pace! We don't have much time left!" Deimos yelled behind him.

Sanford grunted and twitched his eye in irritation.

"Yes Deimos, I can see that! You're faster on your feet than I am, so shut the hell up, roach legs!" Sanford shouted back.

Deimos turned his face to the front of him. He looked at his cell. Hank hasn't moved from that same spot for more than 15 minutes. Either he was dead, or was getting brutally tortured.

'Hank, hang on! We're coming!' Deimos thought to himself as he ran faster. Sanford groaned as he struggled to catch up with the pace of his younger partner.

* * *

Hank continued to stare at the men he had called his enemies once upon a time.

He finally found his confidence back, and shut his mouth.

"Do you like the new look?" Augustus said from behind.

"Looks gay." Hank responded.

Augustus chortled.

"Believe me Hank, you wouldn't be saying that to these group of men after you see what they are capable of." Augustus warned.

Hank sat silent.

Augustus pulled out the pocket-knife from Hank. He flicked in inwards and outwards, playing with it as if it was some kind of toy.

Augustus stared at the knife. "Faster reaction time, increased strength and endurance, higher IQ; these are the mere improved qualities of the A.A.H.W. agents that you feast your eyes upon Hank. These are what the Agency likes to call "Advanced 1337s" and "Advanced ATP agents". Mind the lack of creativity with the names, but we don't focus on that kind of stuff anymore."

Augustus stopped flicking the knife. He suddenly threw the pointed side straight at one of the Advanced 1337s. The agent quickly snatched the knife in mid-air, just before it jabbed him in the eye, as if it was going in slow motion. He then flicked it inwards and threw it back to Augustus. Augustus snatched it with one hand. All this happened in a matter of 3 seconds.

Hank stared with an open mouth again. These weren't the A.A.H.W. members he remembered 3 years ago.

Augustus grinned as he put the knife back into Hank's pocket. "Surprised? You shouldn't be. These agents are no longer human; they have reached a power far beyond the reach of mortals'."

Hank blinked, trying to recompose himself. But there was no way he could easily shake that off.

Augustus suddenly turned Hank's chair away from the men and towards his face. Their heads were separated by mere inches.

Augustus smirked and grabbed the bottom of Hank's chin with his right hand. Hank could do nothing as he was completely immobilized.

"The human body has too many flaws. It was as if God had created us just to fail. There are more than one million ways to kill a person, and even more at torturing him to death. But what should I do with you? Stick you into a prison cell and watch you starve? Or should I pull you apart, finger-by-finger, limb-by-limb, organ-by-organ?" Augustus whispered in a low-tone into Hank's ear.

Augustus quickly pulled his hand away and laughed.

"Oh the possibilities are endless! At first, I thought I could kill you as many ways as I could, and bring you back every single time with a machine I could get the engineers to build. But then, I realized, looking at your face with every passing second is more upsetting to my stomach than the one I'll rip out from you."

Augustus snapped his fingers. An ATP agent from the line of men ran up to him and gave him a syringe. It was filled with a blackish liquid.

Augustus grabbed it and held it in his left hand. "Eventually, I realized that I would kill you in all three ways: emotionally, mentally, and physically. First, I'll destroy all the people you hold near and dear your heart, including that slut you called your girlfriend. Then, I will drive you insane, in fact, suicidal. Finally, well, you don't want to know what I can do with you _physically."_

Augustus enjoyed Hank's adrenaline rush. He showed his right hand wrapped in bandages to Hank.

"You asked about this before, didn't you?"

Hank bit his lip. He wanted to spit in Augustus's face, but the mask was covering his mouth.

"Well, let me tell you this; the damage done here wasn't by accident." Augustus said.

Augustus began unwrapping the covers over his hand. When he was done, he showed the front of his hand to Hank. Hank saw the flesh around it rotting and deteriorating as well as yellow blood oozing from it. The yellow blood immediately signaled to Hank that Augustus was no ordinary agent.

"A flesh wound?" Hank asked.

Augustus shook his head. "No. This wound does not show pain or weakness. It shows _power_. This syringe I hold in my left hand,"

Augustus lifted his left hand with the needle.

"-is the gateway to my victory. I already took the first shot, where the fluids inside of it have already dispersed into all corners of my body. This second one will seal the deal."

Augustus violently jabbed the needle into a vein sticking out of his arm. His smile had turned into a freakish grin (like the one Hank saw on Dan's webpage) as he pressed the top and allowed his body to consume the foreign substance.

"The first one was meant to allow the DNA of any person to mix with mine. The "Preparation Shot" as the engineers had called it. This one you're looking at right now is the DNA of the man I'm mixing my own with. By the color, can you guess who I've chosen?" Augustus asked Hank.

Hank quickly knew who. He glared at Augustus. "You sick, twisted fuck..."

Augustus looked at him. "That's right. The Auditor's."

Hank watched as Augustus held his head in pain. The agent that had given him the shot helped him up from the ground.

"Sir, this project wasn't finished yet. The invasion was not meant to start until another couple of weeks..." the ATP engineer said.

Augustus looked at him with a piercing glare. The ATP soldier slowly backed away as he realized Augustus was not pleased with what he said.

"_**I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP.**_" Augustus stated firmly. He walked over to the ATP agent who backed into the wall.

"Sir, please!" he begged.

Augustus grabbed the engineer's head and smashed it through the wall. Not even the metallic mask was enough to shield his skull as yellow blood splattered all over.

Augustus stood back up. The other agents said nothing and merely stared forward with their pistols at their sides.

Augustus turned to Hank. Hank was shocked at the strength Augustus just displayed. Augustus was a HULK, not a haggard.

Hank saw a reddish glow come out of Augustus's eyes, then fade.

Augustus grinned. "You know what Hank? I'm feeling lucky! I'm going to give you the chance to escape! But, only if you defeat me."

Augustus pulled out a switch and waved away the other agents. They looked reluctantly at each other, but walked out. Langstone was going to leave too, until Augustus pulled out a pistol. Hank knew he was done for as soon as he heard the gun fire, but when he opened his eyes, he realized he wasn't shot, because Augustus wasn't aiming for him.

He had just shot Langstone in the hip.

Langstone yelled in agony and fell to the ground, holding the top of the bartending table to try and stand back up. He fell with a thud as he soon knew it was useless.

Augustus threw the pistol behind him. "Looks like I just used up my last bullet! Oh well! I can make new ones out of your skull Hank!"

Augustus turned Hank to the front of the door. Hank was 5 feet away from the entrance, but Augustus kicked his chair all the way to the end of the room.

Augustus raised the switch over his head. He smirked.

"Play nice."

Augustus clicked the red button and Hank felt his constraints loosen. Hank broke free and flipped upwards. He fell down, and glared at Augustus.

"You just made a **BIG** **MISTAKE**." Hank told him.

Augustus laughed.

"Don't worry, I'm going to make you wish you were still stuck onto that chair."

* * *

Sanford and Deimos continued running to Langstone Bar. The hotel was very far from Dead Nevada, which is why it is taking them so long to get there. They would make it there by 30 minutes at their pace.

'Almost there!' Deimos thought.

* * *

Hank sent an inhumanely fast jab towards Augustus, but Augustus merely dodged it with ease. In fact, Augustus kept his hands behind his back. Augustus wasn't fighting him.

He was mocking Hank J. Wimbleton in combat.

Hank continued to throw violent punches towards Augustus's skull. Normally, a person's jaw would've been knocked off by Hank's power, but Augustus wasn't taking a hit. It was like watching a scene from Dragon Ball Z.

Hank sent a punch towards Augustus's left cheek. Augustus's head swung back as he stumbled. Hank smirked as he realized he had finally caused damage.

But Augustus was laughing as he turned his head back towards Hank with a horrific grin and wide eyes that would be etched in a person's nightmares.

"It was just like how my spy, Flint, told me. You don't remember the name? Let me refresh your memory then: Flint was the "wanted rapist" you had stopped from "raping" Cathy. Well, I'm not honestly surprised. Flint is one of the agents in the A.A.H.W. that still hasn't graduated to an advanced level. Still, he did a good job into bringing you and Cathy closer."

Hank clenched his fists harder. Augustus had took the hit on purpose, just like he did in the rape-incident. He continued to attack with numerous attacks with his arms, hands, and legs. But Augustus had deflected them all as if he was fighting a ten-year-old.

Augustus frowned. "I'm getting bored of this."

Augustus stood on his hands, pushed off with the muscles in his arms, and flipped upwards, hitting the bottom of Hank's chin with the soles of his shoes as he went into the air.

Hank's head snapped upwards. He opened his eyes and regained control as he saw Augustus coming down. Augustus plummeted with extreme force into Hank's face using both feet. He flipped off of Hank, using his head as a propulsion board.

Augustus flew to the other side of the room, landing perfectly on both feet while Hank flew back, hitting the wall with a sickening bang.

Augustus turned around, looking at Hank covering his face with both hands in pain. He smiled, enjoying it all because of his sadistic nature.

Augustus walked slowly towards Hank. Hank realized there was no time to regain his full strength back as he heard the footsteps ominously making contact with the floor.

Hank rolled to his side and jumped back into the air.

Augustus closed his eyes. "Are you still convinced that you can defeat me?"

Hank banged the wall behind him with his fist to control his anger. The concrete cracked. "That was only one shot. You aren't going to get anywhere with me this time."

Augustus opened his eyes. Hank saw it again; a red flash, then nothing.

"_**DEATH IS INEVITABLE.**_" he said in the Auditor's tone of voice.

Augustus held the temples of his head again but quickly stood straight up.

Hank knew he couldn't beat Augustus in this state. He pulled out the smoke grenade he took from Sanford before he went to see Cathy, and let it loose.

Smoke began filling the air as visibility went to zero. Augustus chuckled.

"Smoke? You think some fog will stop me?"

Hank said nothing as he hid from Augustus's sight. He would attack Augustus when he was open.

Finally, Hank saw it. Augustus had turned his back.

Hank silently ran behind him and was going to kick Augustus's spine to break it in half, but instead, Augustus spun around and hit him with a back-fist.

Hank held his cheek in pain. He couldn't believe it. He had been hit by a giant shotgun, fell off a train from a cliff with Tricky, and shot 3 times, all in the same day. Yet Augustus kept stunning him with his mammoth-power.

Either he was losing it, or Augustus really did reach some form of immortality.

Augustus laughed. "Smoke will not stop me Hank. I know where you are."

Augustus picked up a beer bottle and threw it at Hank's direction. Hank ducked, but Augustus came in, smashing Hank's face into the wall.

Hank fell to the floor, coughing up blood as his mask stained red.

Augustus picked Hank up and looked at his face. "I would snap your neck right off your body, but there is still some use for you after all. There is a special somebody that hasn't finished their play-date with you just yet, Wimbleton."

Augustus spat at Hank's face. Hank couldn't even feel it as his face went numb.

Augustus threw him onto the floor. Hank fell in a fetal position, unconscious once again.

All Hank could see was darkness, as he struggled to stay in the real world.

He heard footsteps run into the bar. Allies? Or foes?

"I see it is finished sir." a voice said.

Foe...

Augustus chuckled. "It was disappointing, if I say so myself. To think that this was the strongest man in Nevada. He's as strong as a sandbag."

"Would you like me to do the honors sir?" the voice continued.

"No." Augustus surprisingly said. "I want to make Hank's life as miserable as possible with every passing minute. Give me the chip."

Some shuffling. Hank felt a hand place something behind his neck. There was a sharp sting, then nothing.

Augustus nodded in approval. "Done."

"Now what sir?"

Augustus looked at the agent. "Initiate Project Underground Circus."

"Sir! We haven't even-"

Augustus pointed at the dead ATP agent in the corner of the room, signaling him to shut it and follow orders. The agent already got the point.

"As you wish..."

They walked out. Hank couldn't move. His body felt like lead. The only thing he could hear was Langstone struggling to stay alive.

* * *

Sanford and Deimos ran into the bar. They stared at the whole scenery in awe. All the furniture was broken, and Langstone was dying behind the counter.

And then there was the dead ATP agent in the room.

Sanford and Deimos saw Hank's body, lying near the wall.

"Oh no..." Deimos said, tears welling up.

"He's not...dead...is he?" Sanford asked.

Deimos checked for a pulse. He lit up as soon as he found one.

"He's alive!" Deimos shouted.

Sanford grinned as soon as he said that and turned Hank over to see his face.

"Hank! What the hell happened!?" Sanford shouted.

Hank opened his eyes. He saw his friends through his cracked goggles.

"Augustus...he did this..."

"Augustus did this!?" Deimos yelled in shock.

Hank nodded. "He's not human..."

"Which bastards did this to you?" Sanford said through gritted teeth.

"I already told you. Augustus did." Hank answered weakly.

Deimos and Sanford looked at him in disbelief. "Alone!?"

Hank made a small gulp and nodded again, accepting reality.

"They're back..."

"Who?" Sanford said.

"Augustus...he's not just a traitor...he's the _leader_ of the A.A.H.W."

Deimos and Sanford couldn't believe it. Hank, single-handedly taken down by a weak-looking man, and the A.A.H.W. returns?

Hank closed his eyes.

"It's already started...Project Underground Circus..."

The name reappeared into the pair's heads. Suddenly, they felt explosions shake the ground.

"See."

Sanford and Deimos looked at each other. Deimos shook his head.

"No! This can't be happening! How the hell did we fall for it? All of it! A lie!"

"Cathy was a spy. The money we gave Augustus and the missions we did for him probably helped more than it did damage. My best bet is that the places we wiped clean allowed them to open the Agency even further." Hank said more clearly. He was regaining his strength miraculously fast; a trait he retrieved from Anti-A.A.H.W. training.

Another explosion rattled. Deimos's phone rang.

Deimos picked it up and put it on speaker. "Hello?"

"GET BACK TO NEVADA NOW!" Harley yelled.

"Chief! We've got a problem! The A.A.H.W.-"

"WE ALREADY KNOW THAT! THEY'RE BACK! AND THOSE FUCKERS ARE OVERRUNNING NEVADA!"

* * *

A/N: Okay. That's far enough. This is the longest chapter I've written in a while since I was missing the violence concept.

How'd ya like it? I bet you guys want moar? Well I'll give you moar. Lots moar.

This is the beginning of an epic fight. When you see it, you'll shit brix.

Special thanks go to all of you. Like I said, reading my chapters help inspire me to write more.

Ironically, I don't have anything else to say since I'm writing this right after I uploaded Chapter 23. I made this just to keep you all at the edge of you seats.

And for those of you who would say, "No way Hank would lose in a fight that easily!" trust me, there's a reason why. I can't say it yet or I'll spoil the plot. Just keep reading and don't worry. I'm filling in the gaps.

See you guys later!

~Spirit9871


	25. Blackmail and the Reality of War

Augustus walked through the large wave of his A.A.H.W. soldiers marching into Nevada. The plan was perfect; completely flawless, in fact. Three years he waited for this, and nobody on this planet will stop him from getting what he wants. He had fooled everyone in Nevada into thinking that he was just some average alcoholic, and dusted away Hank J. Wimbleton as if he was nothing.

Augustus looked down at his right hand again. The yellow blood his heart had been pumping begun turning into a darker shade, and skin continued to melt off. He smirked.

Good. It was working.

He looked back up, and was even more satisfied to see the collateral damage from the bombs that had been set secretly in Nevada. The other previous waves of A.A.H.W. soldiers before him had begun their attack and everyone was in utter chaos. Policemen were scattered, fighting off the soldiers, but were significantly decreasing in number as corpses from both sides littered the ground like trash.

Augustus made it to the front of the march. He watches as blood splattered the pavement, Nevadans running amuck in total fear and confusion, screaming in terror. He climbed up a fire ladder to the top of a building to assess his work from up high.

Augustus laughed and raised his arms into the air.

_**"The Circus has come to town! Take your seats, and enjoy the show, because it'll be your last!"**_

* * *

Chapter 25: Blackmail and the Reality of War

* * *

Sanford and Deimos helped Hank up to his feet. When Hank stood up and regained control of his body, he clenched his fists in anger.

There was no way Hank could've been taken down so easy, and he knew it himself. Hank did notice though, that his body seemed to have been altered as he fought Augustus. Something wasn't right here. But what?

_"I gave him the shot. It should be rushing through his veins by now."_

Yes, he remembers now. Whatever was inside that "shot" Cathy had given him must've affected his fighting skills. Still, what exactly was in there?

He had to find her.

Hank brushed off some dust that had formed onto his clothes. He saw Deimos on top of the dead ATP soldier.

Deimos pulled off the mask covering the face. He saw the visibly crushed head underneath.

"Damn," Deimos said, "Hank's right about one thing: Augustus isn't human. I've never seen anybody smash a skull like **this** before. It's as if a tank rolled over his head."

Sanford shook his head. "The Higher Powers have **A LOT** of explaining to do when we see them."

Hank rolled his head around his neck. "That is, if we get to see them **alive**."

Deimos stood up from his crouching position. Suddenly, the three of them heard wheezing.

"H-help me..."

Hank turned and saw Langstone. He thought the old man was dead, but apparently, Langstone still had some juice in him all this time.

Hank walked over to him and picked him up a few centimeters off the floor.

"How long did you know about this?" Sanford questioned.

Langstone was shaking. It would be only a matter of time until he'd leave them. If they had something to ask, they had to do it now.

"Only for a few months before you first showed up...Augustus just barged into my bar one day with some men of his...told me that I would be a dead man if I said a word to anyone..."

"But why?" Hank continued for Sanford.

"I honestly...wanted to know why too...but he told me to just follow orders...At first, I thought that he just did it to make a rest-stop for...for his men...but it was more than that...my bar had became a meeting place for him and the others..."

Langstone coughed up blood.

Deimos quickly devised a question. "Did you hear anything while you served them? Like plans or such?"

Langstone nodded slowly. "Now that you mention it...they were talking about you three a lot...they must've planned this whole disaster out from the beginning..."

Sanford looked at Langstone carefully. "Why the hell are there so many of them out there? There are more A.A.H.W. soldiers outside, than how much Deimos, Hank, and I, killed altogether!

Langstone glanced at Sanford.

"A cloning machine...they made a cloning machine...some of them look like twins of each other because they were all cloned...Also, they were using some kind of special device of some sort...a...what do you call it? An Impossibility Drive?"

They stared at him in shock. A cloning machine? Not to mention an Improbability Drive!?

Langstone closed his eyes.

"The three of you aren't the first to learn of the A.A.H.W.'s secret...Do you remember when Augustus told you all about the time...where two customers were murdered here?"

They nodded.

"It was all a lie..."

* * *

_(Flashback)_

_ Two men sat in their seats at Langstone Bar. They watched as Hank, Sanford, and Deimos exited after talking to Augustus. Most of the other customers didn't notice the trio do so, but they knew all too well that they were here for some serious business._

_ "Yo, Derek," one of them started._

_ "Yeah Mars?" Derek replied._

_ "You saw what just happened?"_

_ Derek nodded. "Those three just made a deal with that guy back there."_

_ "Looks like Boss was right; we have a rat dealing some information to the three of them." Mars continued._

_ Derek put his hand in his pocket, feeling his cell-phone at his hand._

_ "You want to call Boss 'bout this?" Derek asked._

_ Mars shook his head._

_ "Nah man. I say, we bring that bastard's head back to the Greys, and make some story about how we took down a gang and some shit for the cash."_

_ Derek smirked. "What're we waitin' for then?"_

_ Mars and Derek stood up. They walked towards Augustus who was gazing downwards with a beer in his left hand._

_ "Hey asshole, I see you've been blabber-mouthing to __**them**__." Mars confidently shot at Augustus's face._

_ Augustus looked up._

_ "Were you two fine gentlemen talking to me?" Augustus said, pretending to not notice them come up to him._

_ Derek grabbed the beer bottle from Augustus and smashed it on the pool table._

_ "Yeah man. We have to make some __**business**__ of ourselves with you, if you get what I mean."_

_ Some of the customers saw the ruckus of the two. They stood up and left as they knew that Dead Nevada never had any arguments that ended clean. The other customers froze in their places, listening to every word that was passed._

_ Augustus sighed. _

_ "Sorry boys, but I'm not selling anything of any use to either of you. Go along now, before you get yourselves hurt." _

_ Mars and Derek turned their heads to each other, but then laughed._

_ "What? You think you can take us both down?" Mars taunted._

_ "Yeah. You got some balls to say crap like that to the two of us, you little shit." Derek said._

_ Mars grabbed Augustus by the collar. He was even more annoyed by how calm Augustus was during the whole event._

_ "I'm getting pissed now. Time to take out the trash." Mars glared._

_ Augustus chuckled. _

_ "Indeed. It is."_

_ Augustus grabbed one of Mars's hands and squeezed hard. Mars went down on his knees as he felt his wrist getting crushed. Derek stared in shock, knowing that Mars wasn't a weakling._

_ Derek gritted his teeth. But before he could raise his fist to punch Augustus's face, Augustus flipped the pool table over, separating the three of them. Then, Augustus kicked the table towards them, making space for himself. _

_ Mars stood back up, rubbing his wrist turning black and blue. Not wanting to lose the last laugh to a drunk, he balled his right hand into a fist and sent it towards Augustus. Augustus merely turned to the side, grabbed Mars's arm and flipped him over, hitting his body onto the side of the pool table. Mars hollered in pain._

_ Derek threw out a roundhouse kick at Augustus, but Augustus grabbed his leg and yanked, throwing Derek behind him. Mars slowly got up only to get hit by Derek flying into him. The two of them hit the wall._

_ Augustus turned around and crossed his arms. "Is that all? Weren't you going to send my head to your boss?"_

_ Derek and Mars looked at Augustus wide-eyed. Augustus had heard them over the noise in the bar._

_ Augustus snapped his fingers. The rest of the men who had stayed stood up, putting on their ATP masks and their blue glasses. _

_ "This is tiring." Augustus said._

_ Derek and Mars gaped as they saw the A.A.H.W. soldiers stand up._

_ Mars pointed shakily at them. "Y-you're A.A.H.W. agents!? That's n-not possible! Hank J. Wimbleton killed all of you!"_

_ Augustus grinned shaking his head. _

_ "Nope. Not all of us."_

_ Derek knew where this was going._

_ "He-hey listen bro! We were just kidding around ya know! We won't tell anyone 'bout this, k-kay? Just don't kill us!" Derek begged, stuttering. Normally, Mars would scold his partner for saying something like this, but in their case, he agreed with him._

_ Augustus laughed._

_ "Sorry. I'd love to, but I'm just not in the mood for leaving survivors today." _

_ Augustus turned his head and cocked it to one of his agents. Derek and Mars laid there on their backs, shaking in fear._

_ "Don't worry. I'll send the message to the rest of your buddies back at the Order of the Grey Blood. I'm sure they'll just __**love**__ the visit me and my boys here will make to them later on."_

_ Derek gulped. They couldn't pull out their guns or call for help. It was too late. The rest of the customers that weren't A.A.H.W. members had left before the fight began, not knowing the massacre that was about to take place._

_ Langstone, standing behind his counter during the whole incident, closed his eyes and turned his head. But that didn't block out the gunfire and the death-screams from the two._

_ Langstone opened his eyes slowly. He saw Augustus staring at him from the distance._

_ "Make sure you clean this up old man." Augustus ordered._

_ Langstone nodded rapidly, running as fast as he could to his closet, pulling out a mop and a bucket. He filled the bucket with water and brought both cleaning tools near the bloody mess. Langstone tried to look away from the corpses that were left behind, but he had no choice. He had to clean away the evidence that could've freed him from the horrible trap set against his will._

_ Augustus put the pool table back in place and sat down at his chair with his legs on top of it._

_ "And remember," Augustus told Langstone with a finger on his lips, "No tattling."_

_ Langstone fought back tears as he knew that he was at the mercy of the men._

* * *

Langstone gritted his blood-stained teeth as he coughed up more blood after he finished the story.

Deimos punched the wall. His knuckles turned red.

"We fucked up man...we really did...didn't we? All this time, I thought we were saving lives and making Nevada a better place. But instead, we were just clearing up this mess for the A.A.H.W. to make more bases..." he told his two partners.

Hank and Sanford said nothing as they knew Deimos was right.

Langstone glanced at the three of them. "Do a dying old bartender a favor and give him a glass of his own beer?"

Sanford nodded and slowly picked up a glass from the shelves lined behind the counter where Langstone would serve his customers. He filled it up with the alcoholic liquid and placed it near Langstone's lips. Langstone drank it silently, gulp by gulp, and pulled away, grinning satisfactorily.

"It's good to know that my last beer tasted as good as my first..." he said.

Langstone's grin melted away and Hank felt him go limp underneath his arms. Hank pulled down Langstone's eyes gently; a sign of respect for the dead.

Hank stood up. He turned to Sanford and Deimos.

"Time to kick some ass."

The trio walked out of the bar and saw Nevada. Smoke billowed from the buildings. Hank, Sanford, and Deimos began running.

* * *

Harley hid behind a car as he felt bullets whiz over his head. This was turning into a war-zone.

He placed his hand over his shoulder and cringed in pain. Harley had been shot, and the pain was excruciating.

Then, he pulled out his Glock's magazine. 5 bullets.

Damn.

Harley had managed to kill 3 men with one clip, but more and more began appearing out of nowhere.

He glanced at one of his officers next to him, firing from cover. The man ducked and saw Harley's bullet wound.

"Sir! Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

Harley raised a hand. "Worry about yourself right now, not me. We're fighting to the death here, even if the only thing we have left are water guns."

The officer nodded, took a deep breath, and went back up. He shot his pistol twice, until Harley suddenly heard him make a horrific choking noise. Harley reached out a hand in a futile attempt to help his fellow co-worker, still firing wildly in front of him, but saw his head explode from another shot.

Harley held his gun tightly as he heard the lifeless body fall backwards with a thud, blood splattering all over him. The man had been blasted in the throat and yet continued to fight for his people, knowing that death was inescapable at this point. The A.A.H.W. soldier that had killed him did it on purpose to watch him suffer before dying.

A thought came up in Harley's head as he sat there with the corpse near him. Was death really that easy to meet? This officer had lived for about 30 years on this planet, and in one day, all of that had just vanished in a flash.

All because of some greedy bastard trying to take over the world.

If only people knew that every person they killed, he or she had a family behind him or her; a family that they couldn't go back to.

Harley continued to stare at the dead man. He knew him well as one of his best crime-fighters; a father with a beautiful wife and daughter, waiting for him to come home.

Harley felt tears roll down his cheeks and heard himself sob. He wiped them away with his arm and controlled the sobbing.

'No. I can't lose hope. This man died for his family, not at the hands of a terrible fate. I have to keep fighting, until the rest of the people here can run to safety.' Harley thought to himself.

But what about him? What about his family? Who will tell his wife that her husband had died and his children that their father was no more?

Harley shook his head. Was this how war felt like? Having to become a man who can suck up the fact that his friends were dying near him without the power to do anything?

Harley gripped his pistol even tighter.

No. He had power. He was the leader of what he believes is the finest group of men assembled at his disposal. No matter what happens, no matter how things go down,

He will lead Nevada to victory.

Harley turned around and went over his line of cover.

God, was he proud.

So damn proud that he would die as the leader of his men.

Harley began pulling the trigger repeatedly.

"BURN TO HELL YOU FUCKERS!"

* * *

Hank, Sanford, and Deimos continued to dash off to Nevada. Suddenly, Deimos yelled.

"Wait!"

Hank and Sanford stopped in their tracks.

"What Deimos?" Sanford asked.

"Where the hell are we going?" Deimos questioned.

Hank and Sanford realized that Deimos was right. Where were they going? Even if they would join the battle back at the city, it's not like it would make any difference.

Sanford scratched his head. "Err...I was following Hank."

Hank looked at the both of them staring at him. "What the fuck are you two looking at me for? It's not like I know where the hell the A.A.H.W. puts their shit together!"

The three of them found themselves at a standstill. Normally, the Agency would provide them the information they needed to locate and destroy their enemies, or Augustus telling them where the gangs were hiding. But not this time. They had to find their way through this mess all alone.

Suddenly, Sanford snapped his fingers.

"I got it."

Deimos and Hank turned to look at him for his idea.

"What's in that head of yours San?" Deimos questioned.

Sanford turned to him. "Remember how you tracked down Hank using your cell, Deimos?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, track down Cathy. She can tell us what we need to know." Sanford explained.

Deimos grinned. "Not bad Sanford. For once in that thick skull of yours, you've got a good idea."

Sanford nodded. "Thanks asshole."

"No prob buddy."

Deimos began hacking his cell again. Sanford saw Hank glancing upwards with his hands in his pockets.

Sanford placed a hand to comfort him. "Hank..."

"Don't say anything Sanford. Just don't." Hank said, turning away from him.

Sanford watched Hank solemnly as he adjusted his cracked goggles.

Deimos clicked one last key.

"Okay. I know where she is."

* * *

A/N: Chapter 25 is done. Did you enjoy it? God I hope so, but I still think Chapter 24 kicks more ass than this one. I'm doing my best here, and there are just so many ideas floating around in my head. This will be a long fight, I'd say about 6 chapters' worth. So if you notice things getting longer and longer here, don't say I didn't warn you.

Anyways, Reviewer's Credit:

Xenophobic, thanks for your comments. I appreciate them greatly and I hope you will continue to enjoy this story. The information you gave me before had helped me out with the development of Chapter 24. So, thanks dude!

InvaderAsh, I'm glad you enjoyed Chapter 24's surprises. As I said before, there are a lot of shockers coming in soon, so keep checking it out. There weren't many in this chapter in particular, but it's just beginning.

Sackrum, I'm also happy that you liked this plot development so far. You made some good points that I was trying to convey, and I have read the stories you have sent me. You have talent my good friend, and I hope you decide to upload them. Sackrum is my schoolmate, so when I crossed paths with him at this site, I realized that we could begin a great bond together.

By the way, you guys are nuts. Like, crazy nuts. On Thursday, I just had 86 views and 18 visitors to this story (like seriously? WTF?). Do I appreciate it? Fuck yeah I do! We're at the 700's mark now, so that is extremely encouraging to me. Please, continue to show your appreciation and in return, I will not forget to mention you in my story.

Read and review you guys. I've made some edits to particular chapters after they were uploaded to get rid of grammar and spelling errors as well as awkwardly worded sentences. So you'll notice most major errors that are distracting to the reader have been eliminated and edited.

I will be working on Chapter 26 A.S.A.P. Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Final Salvation.

~Spirit9871


	26. Saving the Woman Who Backstabbed You

Chapter 26: Saving the Woman Who Backstabbed You

* * *

"Mr. President."

Lance Archman, the President of the United States, slowly turned around to see the face of his advisor: Shane Detris. He was gazing out of the window, the television roaring with the voice of the reporter commentating on the whole catastrophic event.

It was a disaster. In fact, a nightmare. This morning, he was enjoying a hot cup of coffee as he thought to himself about the plans for the future of his country. Now, he was sweating bullets. New York, California, Ohio, Texas, Illinois were all being attacked by the terrorist organization once known as the A.A.H.W.

But things weren't as bad as they were in Nevada.

Nevada...

Lance sat down at his chair, with his hands rubbing his face.

Nevada.

It was the same exact place where science and logic didn't seem to click with reality. Where the possibility of a building falling right on top of you as you drove down the highway was actually believable. Nobody could explain the bizarre phenomenon that had plagued the Nevadans for almost 3 decades. That is, not until 3 years ago, where the A.A.H.W. was stopped by its Anti and a certain device called the "Improbability Drive" was discovered. This machine warped the fabrics of space and time, releasing negative, "Improbable" energy into the atmosphere; a fucked up gadget that seemed practically impossible to create. Had it not been stopped sooner, the whole planet would've been engulfed in the same, red-skied-hell Nevada faced.

But now it was back. Somewhere in Nevada. And somebody was planning on using it for pure destruction.

"Mr. President?"

Lance looked up to Shane.

"We have an issue to resolve." Shane said.

Lance sighed in irritation. "I can see that, Shane. I don't need 20 different summaries on this problem. I need _solutions_."

Shane shook his head. "We cannot send our troops to storm Nevada sir. They have hostages. **A LOT** of them."

Lance made a small gulp. He shut off the television.

"Fantastic. But we can't just sit here and watch some asshole rip this country apart. Now what?" Lance said.

Shane pulled out some photos. "These were captured and sent to us by our sources from Nevada. This man,"

Shane pointed at a man in the image, standing in the distance.

"is behind all this. His name is Augustus Reeds." Shane finished.

Lance suddenly felt a bit more hopeful. At least they knew who they were after. That was a start.

"Do you have papers on this guy?" Lance questioned.

Shane twisted the corner of his lip.

"Strangely enough, no, we don't. It's as if he doesn't exist." Shane answered.

Lance grunted and hit his forehead onto his desk. So they know who's pulling all the strings, but they can't find his paperwork? Bullshit.

"However,"

Lance looked back up.

"-using satellites, we do have the ability to call his cell." Shane explained.

Lance shot straight back up and gritted his teeth.

"Get me on the phone with that bastard. Now."

* * *

The old abandoned warehouse. This was the place where the "Nevada Devils" hid from society. That is, until Hank, Sanford, and Deimos had ambushed them. It was their first successful attack on the gangs harassing Nevada.

The A.A.H.W. must've made a base here while nobody noticed. It was hard to believe that almost half a hundred people can just sneak into a place without losing their cover, but it wasn't impossible to imagine. Everybody thought the A.A.H.W. had disappeared from history long ago when the Anti-A.A.H.W. had eliminated its leaders and restored normality. Well, more or less, the "Agency Against Hank Wimbleton" crumbled on its own.

First, Tricky the Clown had turned on Jebus, and Jebus in response, had betrayed the A.A.H.W. in an uncontrollable rage. The Auditor had no choice but to watch Jebus kill Tricky in revenge, and killed Jebus personally. Unfortunately for him, Tricky's corpse had managed to get sucked into his body, and the Auditor had exploded from the overload of negative energy coursing through his giant, ballistic, form. That was where Sanford and Hank had to end it all.

A disturbing thought had crossed through Hank's head when he remembered this. What if Augustus had that amount of power in his disposal? He did take in the Auditor's DNA, so no doubt the Auditor's powers would come along with his psychotic gene-mixing plan. But if they didn't stop Augustus soon enough...

...he'll kill everybody.

Deimos looked down at his cell and back towards the warehouse. It makes sense on why the A.A.H.W. had made a base here: it was a huge area of space they could use.

And chances are: they'll find something valuable inside.

Deimos went back into cover. The trio hid behind an alleyway. They had to act fast, otherwise, they would eventually get spotted by the agents walking and guarding the outside of the building.

A feeling of nostalgia had shivered through each of their spines; the need and hunger to kill. The three men were starting to feel the familiar adrenaline rushing through their veins. It was a feeling that they had never forgotten.

That feeling of _madness_.

Deimos turned to his two partners. He had remembered the first time they came here. They had trapped the gangsters in random places until the police would arrive. But there was no police, and no outside aid. And there were definitely going to be no survivors.

"Okay, 5 agents in the front. Simple enough. Problem is: we don't have any weapons to use." Deimos said.

Sanford smirked and pulled out his hook. "I wouldn't say that if I were you, Deimos."

Hank chuckled. "Just like the good ol' days huh?"

"Yeah. Just like the good ol' days." Sanford agreed.

Deimos turned back towards the warehouse. The guards were checking every possible angle. Defense was obviously tight since so many of them were outside, but the minute they could get in, all hell breaks loose.

Deimos grinned. "I got a plan."

Hank suddenly cringed, as he felt a flash of pain wave through his head and saw images of dead men quickly flicker past by. Sanford and Deimos didn't notice, as they carefully analyzed the situation around them. But the headaches seemed to have worsened for Hank.

He quickly shook it off and listened to Deimos's idea.

* * *

The ATP agent near the door looked around him. The sun was setting, but the battle up at Nevada would not reach a cease-fire. He was a bit surprised that the Nevadans were holding up so long, but it wouldn't matter to him. Eventually, they'll either wear out, or just be decimated into nothing.

He yawned and checked his watch. 6:27. He had only 5 minutes left on his shift, but he figured that leaving 5 minutes earlier than scheduled wouldn't hurt anyone. Just before he turned to leave, he heard something clatter onto the floor, not so far from the alleyway twenty feet away from him.

The agent walked up towards it, his partner watching him back at the front entrance with curiosity at his find. He picked it up.

"A cell-phone?" he asked to himself.

The agent opened it up. A line of text appeared.

_SRY, BUT UR DEAD._

Sanford came from behind the alleyway and threw his hook. It got caught into the ATP agent's head as he hollered loudly. Sanford dragged him backwards and ripped the hook violently off his skull. Deimos picked up the gun he was holding: an SMG.

The other agents saw what had killed their ally. They were shocked to see Hank, Sanford, and Deimos right under their noses, but pulled out their guns, ready to fire. Deimos saw two agents from far pull out their pistols at him. He fired his SMG at both of them; the Advance 1337 agent struck by the barrage of bullets, while the ATP agent next to him slid down the ground and flipped up into the air, landing back down onto the ground perfectly on both feet.

Sanford threw his hook at the other agent guarding the door. While he was distracted, Hank quickly dashed, rolled to dodge some bullets, and grabbed the pistol from the ground. He fired at another ATP agent in shock from Hank's agility, and instantly eliminated him. Hank fell on his back, shooting at the direction behind him towards two 1337 agents. Their stomachs took the bullets as they dropped to the ground in agonizing pain. Hank then shot in front of him to blast another agent's head off while Deimos finally killed the second guard, too busy dodging Sanford's rapid attacks.

Hank stood back up, fired two more bullets, and quickly ran through the entrance of the factory with Sanford following him. Deimos emptied his clip on two more enemies, throwing his gun as a last-ditch effort to run inside the building with his two combatants.

They ran in. One Advanced ATP agent saw them and yelled out for assistance. Sanford jumped to the side, dodging the fire, and was quickly in front of the man. He grinned as he saw his enemy stumble and flinch.

"Peek-a-boo." Sanford said in a low yet threatening tone.

Sanford grabbed his head and yanked viciously to the side, hearing a crack and a shriek, confirming that he had broken the neck. He picked up the pistol and found some more ammo as he interrogated the body.

Hank pulled out his pocket-knife and gave it to Deimos.

"Here." he merely stated as he threw it.

Deimos caught it and frowned.

"Aw man! Why do I get the retarded weapons!?" he complained.

Hank smirked. "Because you had the SMG, so shut the fuck up and fight!"

Sanford covered the front, while Hank fired and Deimos slashed behind their line of cover at the agents entering from where they came.

Deimos finally found a MK 14 rifle to use, as well as a shiny-looking Glock, and gave Hank the blood-stained knife back. He reloaded the rifle and joined Sanford behind a row of very large boxes. The fact that the cardboard boxes were actually taking the shots as if they were bulletproof was a bad sign.

The Improbability Drive was being set.

Deimos peered through the scope of his rifle and began firing rapidly, while Sanford did the same with his G18 pistol. But Hank couldn't fire any shots as he felt his hands shaking rapidly. His muscles were going into uncontrollable spasms as he dropped his pistol.

...No...

...this was all too familiar...

...Way too familiar...

Hank knew what would come next.

He saw Deimos get shot in the hand.

"Fuck!" Deimos cursed as he dropped his rifle and held his injured hand. Hank looked at the wound. Deimos's whole right hand was covered with blood, and the bullet had pierced through the other side. Deimos seemed to be trying to move his hand, but it must've gone numb since Deimos couldn't make it respond towards his actions.

Hank found himself staring at Deimos. His eyes widened.

Oh God.

Just like in that dream.

"Hank! You have to carry my rifle! I don't think I can do it anymore with only one hand!" Deimos yelled as he pulled out the pistol he had found earlier, and continued to shoot from behind the crate.

Hank wanted to help him badly, but still found himself staring at his shaking hands. If this was true...then what about the part where he was going to-

"Hey! Did you hear me Hank!? Hank! Hank!" Deimos shouted.

Hank shuddered and coughed up blood. Deimos watched in total shock and terror. He quickly got out of his fazed stage and helped Hank up.

"Hank!" Deimos said loudly.

Sanford continued to shoot, even though he knew what was going on next to him. The A.A.H.W. members were closing in. If they didn't get to Cathy before reinforcements arrived, then all three of them are dead.

"Jebus Christ, Deimos! Forget about him for a sec! We're all doomed if you stop fighting!" Sanford ordered.

Hank immediately realized what Sanford said and picked up the rifle Deimos lent him. He couldn't worry about the things that had just happened now as he continued to pluck off soldiers one by one with amazing marksmanship. Deimos picked up the pistol with his good hand and kept firing on, still a bit dazed by the jumpscare Hank had given them.

But that was more than just a jumpscare.

It was a warning.

* * *

Augustus clenched his fists in anger as he walked down an underground passageway. Blood began racing down his palms from where his nails dug into his skin. He checked his right hand for the fifteenth time. Skin was rotting away rapidly as if it was dabbed in acid. His face also showed signs of deterioration as well, but things were going too slow.

One of the two Advanced ATP agents walking next to him noticed this. "Sir, it will take time for the DNA mixing to take full effect!"

Augustus turned to him. "I don't have time! Can't you see those three fuckers are already trying to take me down?"

The ATP agent that spoke shook his head. "But Sir, the effects could be fatal if you try to speed up the process!"

Augustus continued to pierce him with his glare.

_**"WATCH ME."**_

Augustus dug his nails into the blackish hole that was forming on his hand. He gritted his teeth as he pulled violently back to rip off the skin on top of his whole arm. The two men near him stared wide-eyed as blood and skin fell onto the ground like slime.

What was left behind of Augustus's arm wasn't muscle. It was blackish flames.

Augustus gripped his head with both hands and felt drool fall from his mouth. He started laughing manically.

"_**ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL BOYS? I'M GETTING STRONGER! STRONGER THAN ANYONE ON THIS DAMNED PLANET HAD EVER BECOME!**_"

The guards looked at each other, then back to Augustus.

Augustus's cell began to ring. Surprisingly, even with all the chaos running amuck, he still had signal.

Augustus breathed deeply out. He let his body calm back down.

"Who is this?" he coldly answered.

"Augustus Reeds, this is the President speaking."

Augustus grinned.

"What can I do for you Lance?" Augustus stated with nonchalance.

"You know damn well what I want you to do." Lance said sharply.

"Well, tell me then. What are you willing to offer?" Augustus asked.

"Offer? I'm not making any deals with a sick, sadistic fuck, that's trying to put this country into some kind of goddamn, post-apocalyptic nightmare! Stand down or else-"

"Or else what? Lance, you may be the President of the United States, but today, you have no power. _**I**_ have power. You are merely the _bitch_ who should be begging for my mercy. Try me. Go ahead. But I'm warning you: if you're going to use force, I hope you're okay with 49 states instead of 50 by next dawn." Augustus said.

Lance narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing this for? What is your goal?"

Augustus laughed. "My goal? My goal is to destroy this planet and make a new one from the ashes left behind. That's my goal. Your job is to watch as your precious people die underneath my feet."

"You're not going to win this. I won't let you." Lance ferociously said.

"I'm sorry Lance, but you don't have much of a choice anymore." Augustus responded.

There was an uncomforting silence that hung in the air for about a few seconds, until Augustus spoke again:

"Oh, and by the way, how would you like me to enslave your people? Because the First Lady will make a _very_ nice addition to the A.A.H.W's collection of _SEX SLAVES._"

Lance sat there, immobilized at what Augustus just said. Augustus laughed.

"Don't worry Lance. I'll make some use out of you and your children! As lab rats being cut open alive for further A.A.H.W. biological research!"

Lance was beyond enraged at this point. "You fucking bastard! I'll tear you apart, once I get my hands on you!"

Augustus blinked calmly. "Bastard or not, I'm giving you a choice: tell _your_ men to stand down, or watch me kill your children. You have 24 hours to decide. Until then, enjoy the Circus."

Augustus hung the line up before Lance could continue. He looked at one of his engineers.

"Is Weapon 2 stabilized and ready?"

One of the engineers nodded slowly, knowing that their leader had gone insane.

"Then let's say we give Hank our _special present._ I'm sure he'll love his new playmate."

* * *

Hank, Sanford, and Deimos ran through the seemingly-infinite halls of the factory. Every turn they would make, more and more agents would pop out of nowhere or attempt to sneak-attack them. Finally, they saw Cathy trapped inside where they originally caught the leader of the Nevada Devils. However, with every room they checked, they would see exactly what kind of horrors the A.A.H.W. held behind their backs.

Mutilated corpses, defective clones that were killed and reused as if they were being recycled, and even half-cut bodies that were still alive, begging for the trio to take them out of their misery. It was like walking through a scary film, only, it wasn't a movie.

_It was real._

The soldiers were scattering everywhere to take positions and fire at the three men, failing each time. Deimos's hand was wrapped crudely with some bandages they had found at a first-aid station, and Hank and Sanford were also bruised slightly from the surprise attacks by the agents.

Deimos and Sanford quickly took out three of the guards while Hank singlehandedly took out two. It was a lot harder to kill their enemies by how sharply their stats have increased, but failure was just not an option.

Sanford turned around to see a 1337 agent jump on top of a crate, aiming directly at Deimos's head from behind.

"Look out!" Sanford shouted at Deimos as he pushed him away. But Sanford's outstretched shoulder exploded in blood as the rouge bullet made contact with his flesh, and Hank quickly killed the 1337 with his firearm.

Sanford fell on his knees, cursing. The pain was intense, but he slowly stood back up and ripped out the bullet lodged in his body.

Deimos stood back up. "Sanford, you just saved my life!"

Sanford smirked weakly. "As I always do, you little faggot. Do you honestly think that I'm going to watch your brains splatter all over the walls and do nothing about it?"

Deimos grinned at Sanford's comment.

"-because if I didn't, then you'd stain my clothes with your blood. And I ain't paying for dry-cleaning!" Sanford continued, gazing at Hank who seemed deeply engrossed in his thoughts.

Deimos rolled his eyes. But their bonding moment wouldn't last forever as they saw the large door in front of them.

Deimos checked his cell once more.

This was it.

Cathy was behind the door in front of them.

Hank burst open the door to see Cathy on the ground, her knees close to her body. She looked up slowly, her cheeks clearly showing that she was crying, and looked back down again.

Sanford and Deimos stepped aside as they watched Hank walk up to her.

"I heard everything from Augustus and read your diary Cathy." Hank started.

Silence.

"Why?"

Cathy didn't move.

"Why did you do this to me Cathy? After all we've been through...all of it...was all a fucking lie? All of it is some deranged plot made just to destroy us?"

They heard Cathy lightly sob.

"Well? Answer me? Was it? Did you even actually mean what you said before?" Hank pushed on.

Cathy gripped her knees tighter.

"Did you even love me from the start? Or am I a joke to you?"

No response.

"...do you remember that night where you told Deimos what I meant to you? The night you were stuck in our house from the rain?"

Cathy's eyes suddenly widened as she realized Hank was conscious that time. Sanford and Deimos were a bit surprised themselves, since they thought Hank wasn't awake either.

* * *

_"Why do you care about him so much?" Deimos asked her._

_Cathy kept staring at Hank's covered face. She shook her head. _

_"I don't know. I've never thought about dating when I was young. It was just a waste of time to me. But Hank...I just don't know. It's funny. Every time I talk to him, I feel relieved and glad there's somebody who would listen to me. I mean, sure I have my mother and my other friends. But my mother's depressed, and my friends don't really understand what it means to have a good father and lose him in a blink of an eye."_

_Deimos continued to listen._

_"But still, Hank seemed to be able to connect with me, in a sense. I found out that he does have a heart even after all the horrible things he's gone through. Maybe he just needs to be loved. After all, we're all human, no matter what we say or do. We still feel the impacts life makes on us, just like every person we meet or talk to. I guess, whenever I look at Hank, I don't realize how good I had it, and still how good I've got it now. Maybe all Hank needs is just a second chance in life. Regardless of all the pain he went through before. And I want to try to be that person to give him that second chance." Cathy finished explaining._

* * *

"...That too? All bullshit?" Hank questioned.

Cathy turned away from Hank, expressionless.

"Aren't you going to answer me? Well, are you!?"

Hank punched the wall next to him. Blood went down his knuckles as Sanford and Deimos jumped at the sudden action.

"I gave you everything! EVERYTHING! Even the one thing I didn't even _dare_ give anyone near me: my trust! But you decided to fuck me over? To fuck ALL of us over, you backstabbing BITCH!?"

Cathy began to cry at Hank's words.

"Tell me! What made you want to betray me like this!? To make me swallow more shit than I already have on my plate! What is it with Augustus and the A.A.H.W. that made you turn your back on me!?" Hank shouted.

Sanford and Deimos were shocked. They had never seen Hank so out of place before.

Finally, Cathy stood up, not bothering to hide the tears.

"Because!" she yelled back. "Because Augustus, he's..."

"He's what!?"

"HE'S NOT WHO HE SAYS HE IS! _**AUGUSTUS IS MY BROTHER! HE'S DAN RICHARDS!"**_

* * *

A/N: *Whistles*. Whoa. That's A LOT to take in for one guy! So, the secret's out isn't it? Surprised? Or did you see this coming? If you didn't, then I hope this shocker really caught your attention.

I'm sorry for not updating, but I just took 4 exams the past week. Yes, 4; Math (Geometry), Science (Physics), Spanish, and Global History. I think I personally did well in Math and History, but I'm fucked in the ass for Physics and Spanish. I never was good with those two topics...

Well, that's enough. Let's get right to Reviewer's Credit:

* * *

A Heartless Flamer: Thanks dude! I appreciate the fact that you helped point out some flaws in my story upon request. No, he's not a douchebag. I asked him personally to fix my errors, so I am eternally grateful for that.

* * *

Xenophobic: I LOL'ed at your comment. Even though I would pay cash to see 3 men beat the tar out of a backstabbing woman, Cathy still serves a purpose XD. Also, I will always mention you in my chapters as long as you review dude, so think of it as some kind of first-class treatment to all my reviewers.

* * *

Nikolai247: (Who used to be known as InvaderAsh until he changed his name): Thank you for giving me such a touching review. Like I said to you personally before, as the first reviewer, and still one of the latest, you have helped in this story's development. I owe you bro.

* * *

Kagami: Thanks again for reviewing! I'm glad you liked some humor I sprinkled in Chapter 24! Also, if you really want to read some famous creepypasta, here are some that are well-recognized:

Real-Life CreepyPastas:

"The Smiling Girl"- 4 boys go on a camping trip to the forest, only to find their world flipped upside-down by the smiling girl in the cabin.

"Smiley Town"- (Yeah, a lot of smiling)- When a young man goes on a forum and talks about a PC game he never finished when he was younger, due to difficulties completing a level, he later discovers that there is more to the game than meets the eye. Things that were never meant to be discovered.

Video-Game CreepyPastas:

"BEN DROWNED"- A college-student that goes by the online name "Jadaseus" (I think that's how you spell it), buys a copy of the cartridge called: "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask", only to find it haunted by a ghost named BEN, who takes the form of the creepy-looking Elergy Statue. As he plays the game, he records all his findings on a diary and talks about his life being possessed by BEN. Also, he tapes the game on a video-card and uploads his gameplays onto YouTube (which are still viewable).

"Lavender Town Syndrome Stories"- Remember that creepy place in Pokémon FireRed with the really creepy music at a place called "Lavender Town" for the GBA? Well, imagine that the music has effects on the human mind: SUICIDAL effects. There are many more stories to this one including the "Lavender Town Missing Frequencies" (where you should listen to the video's soundtrack as you read), "Buried Alive", "The White Hand", and "GHOST". Not really that traumatic to teens though, but definitely would have a long-lasting effect to most young children.

"Sonic. EXE "- A boy named Tom finds a note in his mail from a friend that had gone missing 2 weeks ago with a strange, picture-less CD-ROM titled "SONIC. EXE" crudely with permanent marker. On the note, his friend warns him about the game, telling him to destroy it as soon as he can, but being the Sonic The Hedgehog fanatic he is, Tom does not follow the warning and plays the CD. What he finds makes him wish that he had listened.

And finally, TV Show CreepyPastas:

"Squidward's Suicide"- An intern at Nickelodeon Studios watches SpongeBob SquarePants preview episodes for testing. After a couple of humorous clips, the group of people critiquing the episodes finds one clip in particular, odd. (By the way, don't watch the "Red Mist" Video if you're not able to handle horror. Basically, it sends you to this site where you're forced to watch a jump-scare film of dead, mutilated bodies, and other horrific images. You can't get out of the window, and not even control-alt-delete works either.)

"Suicidal Mouse"- (A lot of suicide? Yep. That's Creepypasta for ya.)- Disney is supposed to be the innocent, animating studio, for children, with its number one mascot: Mickey Mouse, right? Well, this Creepypasta says otherwise.

Hope you enjoy them bro!

* * *

Guest: ...Um...thanks, I guess?

* * *

Okay, Credits over. I hope you enjoyed this chapter you guys, and I'll try to put up Chapter 27. Thank you all for reading, and the view count is really, really, uplifting. Read and Review, and if you do review, I promise to talk to you personally (only if you're using an account, since I obviously can't PM guests) or at least mention your name in the next chapter's A/N (Author's Note).

Later!

~Spirit9871


	27. Sacrifices and Flashbacks

Chapter 27: Sacrifices and Flashbacks

* * *

Harley slumped down the side of the destroyed car he took as cover. He had camped here for nearly two hours, exhausted, with the stench of death strong in the air from the corpse of his partner lying near him.

Harley turned his head slowly. He saw Nevadan civilians fighting alongside the police. But these weren't normal people randomly joining the fight; they were former Anti-A.A.H.W. agents. Their numbers were encouraging and helped the fight blaze on, but it would only take an hour, possibly even less that, until the A.A.H.W. would take over the city.

He sighed. It was over. And they all knew it. Victory was no longer an alternative. All they were doing was stalling the inevitable.

Harley coughed up a large amount of blood and winced. He had no ammunition to use against the invaders, and had been shot two more times: once in the hip, and twice in the left leg. There was no cover to run to since he was immobile, and felt his strength depleting with every passing minute.

Harley pulled out a green, oval-shaped object. It was a grenade. But he had no intention of throwing it; he was too weak for that. Harley remembered how this weapon got into his hands. One of his officers bought it to him as a gag, but said it was real. After having a good laugh about it, he always kept it as a last-resort method.

Harley never thought it would come down to this.

He heard the sound of footsteps marching towards his line of cover. His other men had retreated back to make some space for themselves, not realizing that they had left their leader behind. But Harley didn't mind.

He had one last thing to do. One last sacrifice for his people.

Harley heard the footsteps coming closer. He would say he had ten seconds until they would capture him. Ten seconds was all he needed.

Harley closed his eyes, said a small prayer, and put the latch of the grenade into his mouth. He yanked it off.

Ten seconds...

Nine...

They were right in front of the car, ready to turn around it.

Eight...

Seven...

An Advanced ATP agent turned his head and saw Harley lying behind the car, holding something in his hands. He smirked at his find.

Six...

The agent placed the front of his pistol on Harley's right temple. Five other agents came around and saw Harley as well.

Five...

"Any last words?" he asked Harley in a low whisper.

Harley nodded.

Four...

"Just one..." Harley said weakly.

THREE...

The agent suddenly recognized what Harley was holding and his eyes widened.

"OH SHIT!"

TWO...

Harley smirked, blood racing down his chin. "Boom..."

ONE.

The explosion behind the car was earth-shattering. Red and yellow blood flew everywhere along with limbs from the agents.

The other A.A.H.W. agents stopped their firing and diverted their attention towards the sudden blast. The Anti-A.A.H.W. and the Nevadan police force saw this to their advantage and charged towards their distracted enemies. They pushed the A.A.H.W. back and were able to keep the fight going on longer.

Harley hadn't committed suicide. He had bought them all more time.

* * *

Hank, Sanford, and Deimos froze, letting the words from Cathy's mouth settle into their heads.

Augustus was Dan Richards.

Augustus was Dan Richards.

AUGUSTUS WAS DAN RICHARDS.

Oh God.

Hank took a step back. Cathy was breathing heavily from her outburst. He didn't know how to respond to her confession. Finally, he found the right word.

"W-what?"

Cathy closed her eyes tightly shut. "Augustus was my brother...this whole time while you were talking to him, he was Dan." Cathy fell to her knees, covering her crying face.

Hank shook his head, as Sanford and Deimos were as stunned as he was.

Sanford was the first to say something. "H-how is that possible? How long did you know about this Cathy?"

She stopped crying and sniffled. "Almost a month and a half."

Deimos's eyes widened. "A month and a half!?"

Cathy nodded, staring at the ground.

* * *

_Cathy had walked down the route she always took whenever she'd go shopping. She was low on supplies which is why she just had to go and buy the things she needed tonight._

_Cathy checked her watch. It was eleven at night. She started walking at a faster pace back home. Nevada was a very bad place to walk alone so late at night, especially for a young woman like her. The thought of being raped, robbed, or murdered had never crossed her mind, but she wasn't willing to take chances._

_Cathy felt an odd, creeping feeling of someone stalking her. She turned around, but saw nobody. In fact, the streets around her were dark, empty, and cold. Cathy felt her heart beat a little faster. She admits, she was afraid of the dark only because of the history Nevada has with crimes._

_Cathy suddenly realized she was in a light jog. Once again, she looked behind her and her heart nearly stopped beating. There were three men following her. And they looked like they meant business._

_'Oh God.' she thought to herself._

_Cathy dropped all her groceries and began running. Sure enough, the men behind her were catching up. _

_Cathy didn't know what to do. She was alone in the streets with nobody to help her, but still, she had to try and escape._

_"H-help! Somebody! Anybody! Help!" she yelled out. Cathy stumbled over a stone and fell flat on her face. She quickly tried to get back up, but it was too late. _

_One of the men had caught her._

_"Help!" she screamed one last time until she felt a napkin wet from sedatives wrap onto her nose. Cathy struggled in the muscular man's grip, yet she felt her body start to go numb._

_"Help..." Cathy muttered one last time before she fell into unconsciousness._

* * *

_Cathy woke up a few hours later, in a cell. She didn't know where she was, who had captured her, and why she was here. The only thing that kept visibility from dropping to zero was a light-bulb at the roof of her cell dimly illuminating her field of view._

_Cathy gripped the sides of the bars of her cell. "Where am I?" she asked to herself._

_"You're in hell."_

_Cathy saw the cell across from hers with a skinny looking man glancing. He looked bruised and exhausted._

_"I'm where?" she asked him._

_"Like I said, you're in hell. Looks like the agents got'cha didn't they?" he replied._

_Cathy looked at him confusedly. "Agents?"_

_The man chuckled. "You must be new around here. Yes, I stand by my word. Agents. You've been captured by the A.A.H.W."_

_His answer had only left her with more questions than answers. "A.A.H.W.!? But Hank J. Wimbleto-"_

_"Nah," the man interrupted her mid-sentence, "he didn't. Those bastards tricked everyone into believing that they really were gone, when all this time, they were hiding underneath society."_

_"Underneath?"_

_"Yep, this is an underground base. Don't even bother trying to use your cell-phone here. No signal. Mine died a while back."_

_Cathy stood there, her hands loosening their grips on the bars. "How did you get here?"_

_The man shrugged. "I was just walking down the street late at night in Dead Nevada when I stumbled across two agents talking to themselves about some kind of damn attack or something. The minute they used 'A.A.H.W.' I ran for my life. Stupid me. One of them heard me running and shot me in the ribs."_

_He pulled up his shirt to show the scar to Cathy. "Still hurts like hell. 4 months in this shit-hole and I'm just surprised that I haven't gone insane like some of the other inmates here." he said, pointing towards the jail cell right next to his. Cathy shifted her eyes to another man, clutching his knees and rocking back and forth._

_"Don't kill me. Don't kill me. Don't kill me." he repeated over and over again loudly._

_Cathy turned back to her answerer. "What are they going to do with me? With all of us?"_

_He shrugged again. "Beats me. I wish I knew, but each of us apparently serves a purpose. I once saw a guy get forced out of this holding-chamber. He got tossed back in with a dislocated shoulder and a broken leg."_

_Cathy gulped. Were they going to torture her? Or, since she was a woman, use her for..._

_She shook her head. Cathy knew she couldn't think those thoughts. Otherwise, she'd become just like that mind-fucked man still rocking his knees near her. Still, she felt tears well up into her eyes. Her mother had warned her about this; to never stay out late at night. But Cathy thought that she would be fine. That the chances of her getting into any trouble were the same as winning the lottery. And now, she hoped she wouldn't have to pay for it._

_Cathy saw the door outside rise up automatically as five men entered: three of which she recognized as her kidnappers. She watched in horror as all the cell-mates stuck their hands out towards them like zombies._

_One of the men, wearing blue 1337 glasses, pulled out a baton and started banging the metal rods of the cells._

_"Quiet! Keep your hands inside the cells or you're getting it!" he ordered._

_The moaning and grasping of hands quickly stopped afterwards._

_The 1337 saw the cell with the man Cathy had just been talking to. "Well Larry, I'm sorry to tell you this, but we've got a problem with your stay here."_

_The man, who Cathy assumed was Larry, gritted his teeth. "The fuck? I didn't do shit!"_

_The 1337 merely stared at him and shook his head. "Oh no, it's not that. The Agency no longer sees you of any use to us. You've told us all you know, and now, you're just a juiceless fruit."_

_Larry's eyes widened. "W-wait! Hold on for a minute! I could tell you more stuff! I have experience in mechanics! I still have some power!"_

_"I'm sorry Larry, but as I said, you are of no use to us. We need more space for future prisoners here, and we can't allow somebody to hog it all up. No exceptions." the 1337 explained as he punched in codes for the cell bars to go down._

_Larry broke into a sweat. "Then just let me go! I promise, no, I swear, that I won't tell a soul! I won't even think about it at all in fact!"_

_The 1337 chuckled._

_"Larry, you've been here long enough to know how this place works. No exceptions. And we can't risk any compromise."_

_Two agents walked into his cell. Larry tried to break free of their grip, but he was too weak from malnourishment._

_"Please! Let me go! I'll give you whatever you want! Just let me live!" Larry shouted as he was being dragged into the door to the torture chamber. _

_Cathy shuddered as she heard Larry's piercing screams rattle the walls with sharp blows. Then, an ominous silence had given her the message that he wasn't coming back. Ever._

_The 1337 turned back around towards his other fellow A.A.H.W. members (who were wearing normal 1337 glasses, meaning that they were lower in rank than he was). He pulled out a clipboard and a red pen, placing a check on the paper. His eyes shifted down to the next assignment._

_"Let's see...hm?"_

_Cathy watched him, praying that she wasn't on his list. But her worst fears were confirmed as she saw him gaze up towards her face. He smirked._

_"Looks like the boss has a special appointment with you, young lady." he calmly stated. _

_He cocked his head to one normal 1337 and entered more codes into her cell door. As the bars fell, Cathy saw him advance towards her. She tried backing away, but when her back made contact with the concrete wall behind her, she knew it was no use._

_The man grabbed her arm with a firm grip, and pulled her out of her imprisonment. He dragged her through the door where Larry had gone. She saw Larry's horrifically messed-up corpse on the floor, being cleaned away by the janitor. _

_Cathy closed her eyes. 'Oh God, please...'_

_This time around, her prayers were answered as she was brought into another room to her relief. It was pitch black inside, and all she could see were two ATP agents with blue visors and guns raised in case if she had any smart ideas to escape._

_Cathy saw a man sitting in a large, red chair with his back turned away from her. He raised up his head._

_"It's alright boys. She's not going anywhere. I'm sure of it."_

_The two agents lowered their pistols, still watching Cathy carefully. But Cathy stared at the red chair faced away from her. That voice...it was so familiar._

_A chuckle. "Do you know why I brought you here Cathy?"_

_Cathy was a bit surprised he knew her name without asking. "N-no, why are you doing this to me? To all of the people trapped here?"_

_She saw the figure shake his head. "No need to stutter. There will be no harm done to you. That is, if you comply with our demands."_

_"Who are you?" she asked the strange man._

_Now he was laughing. _

_"I'm saddened Cathy, that you don't recognize my voice. After all," he turned around revealing his face to Cathy, "how could you not remember your big brother?"_

_Cathy's eyes widened as she gaped at him. She placed a hand near her mouth in disbelief._

_"D-Dan?"_

_He nodded._

_She burst into tears at that moment. "Oh my God Dan! I thought you were dead!" Cathy yelled at him, trying to run towards Dan and embrace him. However, the ATP agents did not allow it and blocked her path._

_Dan stood up, seemingly uninterested by the appearance of his long-lost sister. "Yes, I'm still alive. How's mother?"_

_Cathy shook her head. "She's dying Dan. We need you after our father left us. Please, I don't care what you're doing and why, but just come back to us! She needs you! I need you!"_

_Dan looked at Cathy and smirked. "Just like mommy. You beg and beg, expecting me to go skipping happily away with you through a field of flowers back to home. I'm going to say it once, and I want you to get the point: NO. Simple as that. I'm not going home. My purpose had still not been achieved yet."_

_Cathy stared at him in shock. She was willing to jump in front of a train to save her brother's life, but now he was turning his back on her?_

_"D-Dan!"_

_"Get the point little sister. I'm not leaving this place." Dan firmly stated._

_Cathy, still frozen solid from his words, watched him walk to the other side of the room._

_"Cathy, I want revenge. Revenge on what that man did to our father."_

_Cathy immediately knew who he was talking about. _

_"Wait, are you still talking about Hank? Hank J. Wimbleton?" she questioned._

_He nodded. "That man deserves to die. And I mean PERMANENTLY. This is the goal that I must achieve. But, in the past decade or so where I've stayed with this notorious group of men, I've realized that I want more than that. I want to change this world into a much better place. By crushing it under my feet and planting new seeds from what is left in the soil. Wouldn't that be beautiful Cathy? All the bad people in the world, dead, and nothing but one supreme rule governing over worldly affairs? This was what the Auditor wanted: a new world order. That fool only made the wrong mistakes and underestimated his allies and foes. But I won't. I will change everyone and everything on this planet from the inside-out to get my way."_

_Cathy bit her lip. Her brother had only turned colder instead of that sweet person she knew back when she was merely a child. The person who read books to her before she slept at night. The person who always had a bandage in his possession, just in case she would trip, fall, and get a cut. The person who had helped her through the bullies in her middle school and personally beaten them all into pulps, not caring about the fact that he would be expelled since he was saving his sister from the misery she suffered._

_That person...was gone. _

_Gone._

_And in his place came a confused, heartless dictator, ready to demolish the planet._

_Cathy knew she had to try and stop him. "Dan! Please! Don't say those things! It wasn't Hank's fault that he killed our father! It was the Auditor! He was the one who took him away from us, not Hank! Even I realized that! All you're doing is making the real person who killed our father win!"_

_Dan laughed._

_"So naïve, but I didn't expect anything more from you. You've been tarnished with the goody-goody fairytale retrospect of society. But life's not a fairytale, and we both know that. This is why I am doing this Cathy. To show others the errors of their ways, and to correct their mistakes. I will purge the wicked and craft the good. This is why I still live."_

_Cathy closed her eyes, tears still running. It was hopeless. Dan was too blind to see it now._

_"However,"_

_She looked up weakly._

_"there is something that if you do for me, I will grant your wish of returning home."_

_Cathy's eyes lit up._

_"Anything Dan! Just tell me and I'll do it!"_

_Dan smirked. "Anything?"_

_"Yes!"_

_Dan nodded. "Good. This is a very simple task: administer this vial," (an agent gave her a shot) "into Hank J. Wimbleton's body."_

_Cathy's enthusiasm had turned into horror. Dan saw her change in expression._

_"What's the matter? What happened to the 'anything you want' promise you made to me a few seconds ago?"_

_Cathy held the needle tightly. _

_"Dan, I-"_

_"No. You must. That is, if you want to stay alive." Dan threatened._

_Cathy gaped at him. Dan was ripping her apart. She was so confused on what to do. _

_Dan went down his chair and walked up next to her. "You told me yourself, didn't you? Mommy's gonna die if Danny doesn't get home to her. And if her little Cathy dies, what do you think happens next?"_

_Cathy was shaking. His words were getting to her. And she knew that he was right. Her own brother, the one she had nearly died searching for, was now threatening to kill her, and watch his own mother die without even flinching._

_Cathy sighed. "Okay Dan...I'll do it..."_

_Dan laughed and walked away from her. "Excellent! Now you're talking sense! But, Cathy, mark my words: telling anybody, giving hints, or even writing down anything that would blow the A.A.H.W.'s cover will result in termination of our deal and __**you.**__"_

_Cathy listened carefully and nodded. Dan saw her do so and continued on._

_"The vial you are holding, is a strong virus called the "M Virus" or "Madness Virus". I will not disclose any information about what it does, or how we've made it, but you only have one chance. Screw up and you die. Succeed, and, well, we'll discuss more about what happens then if you're able to do so."_

_Cathy placed the vial that would change her life into her pocket._

_Dan looked at her seriously. "Here's the plan..."_

_And so, would begin the journey of Cathy and Hank's relationship together from the planned raping. Dan did not realize Cathy would grow an emotional attachment with Hank, but used that to his advantage. He had continued to blackmail her, saying that they would kill Hank if she showed resistance. After Cathy learned of what had happened to Hank, Sanford, and Deimos's house, she confronted Dan again, saying that he went back on their promise. Dan, in response, threw his sister into the warehouse where the trio of men had defeated the Nevada Devils, trapping her inside. Now, it all leads down to the present._

* * *

Hank heard her brief this story to him. He understood now: she did not do it for selfish reasons. Cathy had just wanted her brother back after so long and to protect him.

Cathy continued to cry after she told the story. Hank didn't know what to feel anymore. He didn't feel guilty, and yet, he still cared deep inside. But there was no way he would go back. He was done. Just done with all the bullshitting.

Hank turned away from Cathy and walked out. Sanford and Deimos saw Hank, quickly running towards him.

"You're just going to leave her here?" Sanford asked him.

Hank slowly gazed at him. "Augu...Dan had left her here just so we could hear her on purpose. He's leaving behind a trail of bread crumbs for us to follow. Cathy will find her own way out. The Agency doesn't need her anymore. She had caused all the damage she can to me."

Deimos looked down at his feet, sad to see his idol in such awful composure.

"Hank?"

Hank didn't answer back as they walked towards the exit, but Deimos knew he wanted him to go on.

"I'm so sorry about all this. It was my fault. We got you into this mess." he apologized.

Hank shook his head.

"Don't be Deimos. I was never meant to enjoy life."

Sanford and Deimos felt themselves being stung by Hank's words. They could no longer argue with him anymore.

"Deimos." Hank finally told him as they walked out.

Sanford and Deimos turned to him.

"Yeah?"

"You still have that number from Dan?"

"Yeah."

"Track him down for me. I'm making a solo appointment."

"What? You're going alone?"

Hank nodded. "I have some business to settle with him. Some very bloody business. You guys have to go find the Improbability Drive and destroy it before even more shit goes down."

Deimos wanted to protest, but he knew the poor guy had gone through enough. He merely began using his hacking technique to find Dan's mobile device.

Meanwhile, Sanford watched as Hank turned away from them. He was even worse off now than he was before they had reunited with Cathy.

Hank was broken inside. Now, he was nothing but an empty shell.

* * *

A/N: Okay, that's the end of Chapter 27. I'm sorry this was mainly a filler-chapter, but I felt that it was necessary to talk about the story behind why Cathy had betrayed Hank, Sanford, and Deimos. In fact, it is necessary if you think about it. I want people to feel completely satisfied by the answers I give them, and confusion of the plot to reach little above nothing.

I'm sorry for slow updates. My grandmother had just passed away a little while back, so humor wasn't really consistent in this chapter. I don't know how I managed it, but I typed this up, ready for reading.

Let's just go to Reviewer's Credit.

Sackrum: Thanks dude for your advice. I took it into consideration, but like I said, I don't think changing the chapter title now would be a good idea. It would cause way too much confusion and I doubt people would appreciate it. Also, I was thinking about using an image for this story, but you have to have written permission to use whatever artwork you're using. So, I'm not going to risk this story just for some stupid picture.

Thanks, and again, I appreciate your review. (lol, and it can't be over 9000!)

* * *

Nikolai247: Thank you for saying that! I'm glad you enjoyed the emotion from the last chapter, because I was planning on using it as one of those dramatic moments in a fanfic. Don't worry about the special present: it will definitely be revealed soon enough.

Special thanks go to you for being such an awesome supporter bro.

* * *

Xenophobic: They say the truth hurts, but damn dude! You made it sound hilarious as hell! And yep, that's Dan in a nutshell for ya.

* * *

Okay, Credits over. Read and review guys, and like I said, I will mention your name when you review a chapter as long as this story is still in-progress. Still, I will reply back to any account reviews via PM'ing so we can keep in touch. You guys are an awesome crowd, so please keep this up. We've reached the 900 view-mark, and that is awesome for a MC fanfic. Sorry I sound so depressed right now. I promise I'll try to get over things by the next chapter.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Final Salvation, and I will do my best to satisfy your thirst for MC.

Later.

~Spirit9871


	28. The Smiling Devil

Chapter 28: The Smiling Devil

* * *

Hank quickly ran down the street to his next location: an underground facility. Why Dan was there, he doesn't know, but even to him it was obvious that something being built underneath peoples' feet meant bad news. REALLY bad news.

He checked Deimos's phone. They had swapped cells so Hank could see where exactly Dan was hiding while Deimos could still have the option of calling him. Finally, Hank stopped in his tracks and hid behind a large dumpster. The facility was right underneath him.

Hank looked around. 'How the fuck am I supposed to get down there?' he asked himself.

Suddenly, Hank saw two 1337 agents knock on a steel door from the building a couple of feet away from him. The door opened and Hank saw both of them go in. Hank smirked.

'Well, that's one way to crash a party.' he thought.

Hank pulled out the MK 14 rifle from behind his back, went to the other side of the street without being spotted, and knocked on the door.

The slit on the door opened, and an ATP agent peered out of the hole. His eyes widened as he saw Hank. Hank placed the front of the rifle right between the agent's eyes.

"Say cheese." he whispered.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sanford and Deimos were traveling to their own destination to destroy the Improbability Drive being constructed by the A.A.H.W. It wasn't hard to figure out where it was. When an Improbability Drive is being set, you can actually see some of the morphed features around the area where it's located. Like the atmosphere around it seems to feel different as well as the air seemingly grows harder to breathe in.

The two men went into stealth and saw their target. It was another large factory not so far from where they found Cathy.

Deimos groaned. "Another factory!?"

Sanford chuckled. "The A.A.H.W. sure lost their touch of imagination. Shh! Get down!"

Sanford pulled Deimos's head down before an ATP agent would spot them. The agent looked left and right, but merely passed the two men hiding near him. Sanford turned his head back as he watched the ATP agent walk away. There were about 8 of those bastards running all over the place. He turned to Deimos.

"You ready for this?" Sanford asked him.

Deimos grinned, placed a cigarette into his mouth, and lit it. He puffed out a cloud of smoke. "Sanford, if you're really asking me that question, then you don't know anything about me."

Sanford nodded, and turned his head to watch the agent walking away from them. He took out his hook and Deimos pulled out his pistol. Deimos checked his clip, satisfied to see a fair amount of ammunition still inside. He aimed the pistol to the back of the ATP engineer's head.

"Here we go again..." he muttered.

Deimos fired, and the two of them along with the other agents nearby saw his brains splatter all over the pavement. Sanford jumped up and threw his hook into a 1337's skull. The 1337's hands shook violently as he tried to pull out the hook lodged into his head, but Sanford jerked back violently, ripping out a chunk of flesh and blood from him.

Deimos covered Sanford as he did so, and shot two other agents behind him. He quickly reloaded with ammo he found earlier as Sanford picked up an MP 40 and began to switch from melee to firepower. As soon as the area was cleared, they quickly went into the factory, doing their casual wipe-out tactic by killing everyone before they even had the chance to turn around. Deimos picked up a Luger PO8 after putting his previous weapon into his pocket while Sanford tossed him some more ammo they could use. Deimos loaded his gun as they ran into the next room.

3 agents: two 1337s and an Advanced ATP engineer. Deimos shot two bullets into the first 1337's chest and thigh and Sanford shot 3 into the second's head. They saw the ATP agent hide behind two large boxes. Deimos charged at him, and as their enemy came out of cover to kill him, Sanford quickly aimed and fired. It was over in a matter of 10 seconds.

The duo went into the next room in front of them, even though there was an elevator nearby. They decided to save that for later. Sure enough, they found themselves at a dead end, but with a whole arsenal of weapons lined up on the walls around them.

Sanford whistled as Deimos gaped at their find.

"Looks like we found the armory, didn't we Deimos?" Sanford told his partner.

Deimos's open mouth had formed into a wide grin. "Jackpot!"

Sanford rolled his eyes as he saw Deimos run around the room, feasting his eyes on everything like a little boy in a candy store.

"Oh my God! These weapons are so cool! And they're so brand-new! I want this one!" Deimos said, as he picked up an MK 23.

Deimos dropped it onto the floor as he ran across the room.

"No, no, no, wait! THIS ONE!" he corrected himself as he looked at an S&W 500. Deimos dropped that too and grabbed another firearm from the wall.

"Or maybe this one! Or how about-"

"DEIMOS!" Sanford interrupted.

Deimos stopped his over-obsession on the weapons he longed to see and turned to Sanford.

"WE'RE NOT IN A FUCKING MALL SO JUST PICK ONE AND GO!" Sanford finished.

Deimos groaned. "Who died and made you boss?"

Sanford sighed in anger. "Do you remember what happened at 'The Rift'?"

("The Rift" is the A.A.H.W. shop in Madness Combat 6.5)

Now it was Deimos's turn to roll eyes. "But Sanford! We needed the supplies and-"

"No." Sanford firmly stated. "We didn't. You decided to get all ballsy by walking in and grabbing some shit we didn't need. And we were nearly killed by those A.A.H.W. agents."

Deimos narrowed his eyes at him. "Hey! Don't take it as a bad thing! You wouldn't have the clothes on your back right now if it wasn't for my idea back then!"

Sanford shook his head. "Well, it's nice to know that my partner acts like a teenage girl when it comes to shopping."

Deimos turned away from Sanford angrily. "You're no fun Sanford..." he muttered as he picked up a pistol.

Deimos saw a melee weapon in particular that caught his eye. He chuckled.

'Hank's gonna love this.' Deimos thought as he put his gift onto his back.

Sanford heard footsteps from outside.

"Hurry up Deimos!"

"Okay! Okay!"

Sanford quickly dashed out of the room, getting the elevator ready. Deimos ran in next to him after a few seconds of scavenging, just before the door closed. Sanford pressed the button to the basement, knowing that the core was deep inside the facility.

The elevator was slow, so Deimos rose up his pistol and pretended to aim it at an enemy from boredom. He started moving the gun up and down, making sound-effects.

"Pew! Pew! Pew!" he said quietly to himself.

Sanford banged his own head into the wall.

"Are you fucking serious?" he questioned Deimos as they met eyes.

Deimos shrugged. "What? It's not like you've never done it before!"

Sanford gritted his teeth. "Yeah, I did. WHEN I WAS A SIX YEAR OLD."

Sanford noticed Deimos's pockets sag.

"Deimos?"

Deimos turned to him angrily. "What NOW?"

"What do you have in your pockets?"

Deimos's eyes widened. "N-nothing!"

Sanford immediately saw Deimos stutter and glared at him. Deimos sighed in defeat as he emptied both pockets out. Sanford saw ten different pistols fall to the floor.

"What the fuck Deimos? I told you only ONE weapon! This'll slow us both down!"

Deimos quickly dragged the pile of firearms away from Sanford. "You don't appreciate the guns, then you don't appreciate ME, bitch!"

Sanford bit his lip, restraining himself from beating the crap out of Deimos.

Deimos ignored Sanford's action and continued his...pew-ing...

The bell on the elevator door dinged and the doors opened. Sanford's and Deimos's eyes widened as they saw the horde of agents in front of them. Their enemies were unarmed, but with 20 people staring at you with death-glares, it won't really matter whether or not they have weapons to see you're screwed.

Sanford face-palmed himself.

"Pew..." Deimos trailed off one last time.

"Deimos?"

"Yeah?"

"If we die, I'm going to make sure Satan screws you in the ass, personally..."

* * *

Hank looked around the room he had finished off in satisfaction. He had killed 30 people without a scratch on him. Hank had kept his rifle behind his back and picked up a sawed-off in his hands. Good to clear up a particularly crowded room by blowing up peoples' heads with a barrage of bullets.

Hank ran down another flight of stairs. He was happy to see another group of men to eliminate as he fired once, blasting an ATP agent's body off. The other four agents saw Hank quickly go behind a metal barrel. Hank pulled out his rifle and was able to shoot with only one hand due to his massive strength. He killed two agents shooting at him, while the others flinched. Hank cocked his shotgun for a second attack as he made one man's head explode.

The other saw him close in, and shot at Hank with his pistol, but Hank jumped up to the ceiling, holding onto the metal pipe hanging down with his left hand, and fired again at the 1337 agent with his sawed-off on his right. As he came down, however, he noticed that there seemed to be a trail of black liquid leading to the door on the other side of the room.

Hank checked Deimos's phone again, trying to confirm what it meant. He knew it.

Dan was behind the door in front of him.

Hank threw down his empty shotgun and picked up a Browning HP in its place. It didn't have much left in it, but it was better than nothing, as he realized his MK 14 was done for too. Hank didn't have time to mess around anymore. Hungry for revenge, he was impatient to kill the man who had nearly destroyed everything precious to him.

* * *

Dan was shaking rapidly. Tar-black liquids poured out of his body, assuming it was "blood". Both his arms were gone, the back part of his head now looked as if it was ripped off, and the skin on his legs were peeling off too; all replaced with the black flames emanating from his essence.

At this point, both of the guards next to him were scared out of their minds. They knew what Dan did to their teammate back at Langstone Bar, and whatever he planned to their disapproval would definitely be a lot worse. The only option they had was to follow orders from the deranged psychopath they called their leader.

Dan fell to the side and hit the wall. One of the Advanced ATPs was going to help him up, but Dan slapped his helping-hand away, breathing heavily. He looked up and smirked at the large glass tube in front of him. Although it wasn't visible from the outside, he already knew what was inside of it.

Hank's worst nightmare.

He put his right hand onto the lone engineer's shoulder, working on the project as he typed in codes without seeing Dan's face.

"Are you done?" he questioned.

The engineer turned around and nearly gasped from Dan's horrific form. He quickly nodded, even though he knew that he needed more time. But Dan wasn't willing to hear it, and he definitely wasn't going to leave the tardiness unpunished.

Dan laughed, but just before the engineer was going to sigh in relief, he felt the pair of eyes stare him down.

"I know you're lying."

A bead of sweat trickled down the side of the engineer's head. He didn't know what to do at this point. But it wouldn't matter by then because Dan made the first move.

Dan smacked his head into the control panel, leaving a dent on the metal box and a large crack on the man's skull. Dan rose up his head slowly, without turning to his men.

"He's here. Right in front of the door." he suddenly said.

The two ATPs looked at each other, confused.

"Who's-"

But just before the soldier was able to finish his sentence, Hank came running in, shooting the both of them in the back of the head. Dan didn't even bother to turn his head around from the gunfire. Hank quickly aimed and fired at Dan, but Dan merely cocked his head to the right as the bullet went flying millimeters over his neck.

Dan smirked.

"You're out of ammo, aren't you, Hank?"

Hank pulled the trigger again, only to be met with silence instead of a bang. He cursed himself and threw down the gun behind him.

"Doesn't matter. I'll fuck you up with my fists." Hank responded ominously, cracking his knuckles.

Dan shook his head. "Hank. You and I both know that after the disaster in the bar, you won't be able to defeat me alone, especially without something to beat me down with."

Hank ignored Dan's statement. Dan crossed his arms, knowing that Hank was about to say something.

"I talked to Cathy and read everything in her diary. What the fuck is the 'M Virus'?" Hank questioned.

A glimmer of interest flickered across Dan's eyes when Hank said that.

"Ah, I see you're referring to the Madness Virus." he stated in nonchalance.

Hank twitched from Dan's calmness. The guy treated him as a joke. And that made him angry. _VERY_ angry.

Dan still didn't turn to meet Hank. "It's a very funny story. But I'm sure Cathy told you it all, since she's such a blabber-mouth, so I'll stick to the details. Do you remember Jebus, Hank? Jebus Christ? Yes, I'm sure you did. When Jebus joined the A.A.H.W., we knew that his massive resource of power had to be controlled, in a sense. The Auditor secretly mixed his DNA with the same gene that had mixed into yours. With this, the Auditor was able to break down Jebus's body from the inside with a massive symptom of regurgitating blood. Eventually, Jebus was weakened to the point where the Auditor didn't even have to take a hit in their final battle."

Dan raised his head into the air. "Oh, but the tale doesn't end here, Wimbleton. We had salvaged this genetic weapon from Jebus's remains, and _**enhanced**_ it."

Hank raised an eyebrow. "Enhanced it?"

Dan nodded. "Yes, enhanced it. How? Well, we basically added more commands to it so that not only does it deteriorate your body as well Hank, but also your **mind.** Images that you wanted to lock away, images that you wanted to forget so badly, images that you wished you never saw at all, brought back in flashes."

Hank suddenly understood why he saw those visions. They were mere annoyances to him, but no doubt they had affected his fighting capabilities.

Hank clenched his fists. "There's more, isn't there?"

Dan laughed heartily. "You're catching on fast. That's good. I enjoy my prey having the knowledge of what they suffer from before they die. Makes everything more fun. Correct Hank J. Wimbleton. We went over the extremes in the three years we hid under Nevada. Severe headaches, near-death heart-attacks, and of course, hallucinations. It's a beauty. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, that I decided to use it on a young boy I met from the Order of the Gray Blood and see it for myself. Hmm...what was his name? Oh yes! Carlos! Carlos Vendetti! The man who slit his own throat in the hospital!"

Hank was over the edge at that point. "You fucking monster."

Dan turned his head around to Hank, but concealed it by staring down at the floor. Blackish-blood was dripping from where he was looking.

"A monster? No, I am not a monster. I am merely an improvement to this shameful body God had given all of us. I am meant to change this planet. That is my reason for existence. My only fear is failure. Because when I fail, I make sure that EVERYBODY fails with me. There is no cure to the Madness Virus and there never will be. It's just like an STD only that it does not spread. It kills the person who is infected and self-destructs. You may be able to destroy the macroscopic components of life, but not the microscopic."

Dan suddenly raised his head up and scarred Hank. Hank saw half his face was gone, the other half sagging to the floor like glop.

"_**I AM THE MEANING OF BEAUTY. AND I AM THE BEAST. THERE IS NONE WHO CAN SURPASS ME. I AM AN IMMORTAL."**_

Hank took a step back, not willing to see the new qualities Dan developed in the past hour.

Dan expressed joy from Hank's hesitation. He continued to stare at him with wide-eyes and a smile full of hate.

_**"I'VE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCHING INTO YOU HANK, AND I FINALLY REALIZED WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST. I WILL MAKE SURE YOU SUFFER, AND THEN GRANT YOU THE GIFT OF DEATH. I WILL LET YOU DIE BY THE ONE THING YOU HATED MOST. THE ONE PERSON THAT YOU SECRETLY PRAYED WOULD NEVER RETURN."**_

Hank's eyes widened as he realized Dan's words. "No. Dan. Don't do it."

Dan stumbled backwards, clutching his face. He threw up more black blood and pulled out an iron slab. He threw it down to the ground. Hank suddenly realized why that photo Harley took from the crime scene seemed so awkward.

The iron slab was showing in the picture. Dan had placed it there on purpose without anyone noticing.

Dan slammed his fist onto a large red button on the control panel as he held his face with the other hand. The panel made a beeping noise.

_**"Good luck Hank J. Wimbleton!"**_ Dan's final words were before he ran out of the room through the door beside him. Hank would've chased after him, but he knew that whatever Dan did was going to kill them all if Dan guessed right on Hank's fears.

The large glass tube slowly opened up, steam billowing out from the sides. As soon as Hank saw what was inside, he fell backwards.

Hank saw a green, zombie claw hold onto the side of the tube.

"_**FR33..."**_ the figure inside hissed.

Another hand popped out.

"_**FR33 4T L4ST**_..."

Hank felt sweat go down his chin. He saw the face pop out in horror. That same face that had never stopped haunting him.

The figure jumped out of its cylindrical prison and saw the iron slab lying on the floor. He picked it up to hide his disgustingly horrific face: a face that made Dan's look like a supermodel's. His hands had turned from the zombie-green to a normal white as if the mask had powers over him.

Hank crawled backwards in haste, not caring in the least that he was acting so weak in front of the person that had made his life a living hell back then.

"_**HAHAHAH4HAHHAHA4HAH!1!1!1!"**_ It roared in laughter as Hank saw red static fizz his vision and the words appear underneath him in bold red. The Improbability Drive was in effect.

The Clown has been engaged.

* * *

A/N: Okay, that's all for this time folks. 3,000 words. Can't make this any longer or else it'll get too tiring to read. I bet most of you were expecting this. After all, how can you forget Tricky in the longest Madness Combat Fanfiction that has ever been written to date?

I'm sorry this took way too long to update. My life is a living hell right now in school, and by Monday, things won't go any easier. Anyways, this took me two hours to type, edit, and re-type again. Still, I did the best I could in making this epic, and it is pretty difficult shifting to different P.O.V.'s at the right moment to make things click.

Let's get down to the important stuff: Reviewer's Credit:

* * *

Sackrum: You're welcome on how I cleared things up for you. I'm going to explain all the surprises and hidden secrets by the end of this so nobody's going to be left off with some crappy cliffhangers and shit. It's good that you're thinking about my story: I actually wrote this in a sense to show an angle of life not many people think about. Also, yes, I read your 2nd Chapter of Fallout and reviewed it. That fanfic was pretty awesome dude, for a start, and I hope things go easy for ya in the future! Keep up the writing, and I'll keep up the reading along with my own stuff!

* * *

Nikolai247: That was actually an amazing point you pulled out. I didn't realize that until you said so in Chapter 27. Actually, I was wondering why the symptoms I was describing seemed so familiar before, and now I know why. I used that information in this chapter, so kudos to you bro!

* * *

Kagami: Thank you for your support on my life and my story. Your review was touching to me, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. It was awful when my grandmother passed away, especially seeing my father break down. He took a flight to his hometown (since he used to live in Egypt until he immigrated here) to meet with our relatives and talk. My grandmother was so nice though...she was always in pain when she was younger and she never had the chance to do the things she wanted. I miss her, but I can't let it interfere with my life. I just have to accept facts, but at the same time to never forget.

Also, Kagami, speaking of Creepypastas, if you liked the ones I recommended to you, read the "Russian Sleep Experiment". That's an awesome one I just heard from a friend of mine's. Nikolai247 had a Creepypasta he PM'd to me, but I don't remember the title since I'm typing this on a separated computer with no internet. Sucks? Yes indeed. It does suck. Balls.

* * *

Xenophobic: Wow, you are really getting into the story! That's pretty neat too ya know. I chuckled though at what you said. Trust me, if you said that in front of Dan, he'd probably just shrug and walk off some place. Or, he could send humanity into a holocaust. Yeah...big difference right there...

* * *

Okay, Reviewer's Credit is over. Remember, any review will be mention at the end of the chapters I write as long as the story I am writing is still on-going, so say what you have to say now, or forever hold your peace. I do respond to all reviews on accounts via PM'ing, but I can't do so with guest accounts. So please, and especially if you write as a guest most of the time, review now, otherwise it'll be too late for you to have your name appear publicly.

Well, with that all said and done, I can merely say, thank you all for your support. This story actually hit the 1,000 view mark (Yes! Go Madness Combat!) and I am extremely proud of it. You guys are the best supporters ever! I just can't believe how much success I'm racking in on my first story in TWO MONTHS, not to mention that this is a MADNESS COMBAT fanfiction: one of the most neglected, super-awesome topics when it comes to fanfictions. That's just freakin' awesome right there. And, in return for all of your enthusiasm, I will give you guys fanfictions that you will never forget on Madness Combat. Just remember to keep reading, and I'll keep writing!

Later bros! I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Final Salvation! Chapter 29 will be up as soon as possible!

~Spirit9871


	29. Deimos's Opportunity

Chapter 29: Deimos's Opportunity

* * *

He was shaking.

Shaking violently at the man...

...no...

...the _**monster**_...

...he thought was damned in hell forever.

But there he was.

And if he didn't stop him...

Everybody.

Will.

**DIE.**

Hank crawled back up until he felt his spine make contact with the concrete wall. He watched in complete disbelief and horror at the sick demon that had merely used Hank as a chew-toy three years ago.

And this mistake from God was no other than Tricky the Clown himself.

Tricky glanced at his hands, confirming that he was alive again. Although the iron slab was covering his face, Hank felt the grin beneath it pierce through the metal.

Hank couldn't escape, there was no doubting it. Tricky had the power to destroy a whole army as long as the Improbability Drives were still functioning. Dan had also somehow locked the electronic doors from opening, so Hank was stuck with a ticking time-bomb.

Tricky turned his face to Hank, who made his return even more joyful.

_"H3ll0 H4nk! D0 Y0u R3meMbEr M3?"_

Hank quickly stood up onto his feet, realizing that he had to take a defensive position before he'd get mauled to pieces. Tricky's words were followed by the reddish fizz that annoyed him greatly, but he learned to ignore it and took control of the situation.

_"W3 n3vEr F1Ni5h3d 0uR pL4yt1m3! tH4t M4ke5 Th3 Cl0wN S4D! D:"_ the words appeared right underneath Hank's field of view.

Hank turned his head. The only weapons in the room was the pocket knife in his possession and the empty gun nearby him. Hank quickly rolled to the side, picked up the gun, and pointed it at Tricky. He was desperate at this point and he knew that he had no other moves to make by now.

_"D0n't woRrY! TH3 Cl0wN w1lL M4k3 tH1nG5 B3TT3R!"_ Tricky ranted on.

As he talked, Hank noticed though, that Tricky wasn't shaking as much as he remembered. Hank looked behind Tricky and saw the dead engineer with blood tracing down from the metallic computer board. He immediately figured that Dan had rushed things, and knew he could use this to his advantage.

Hank had probably half an hour until things would go ballistic. If he didn't finish this by then, he was a dead-man.

Hank's hands were shaking. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins like never before. Of course, he was scared as hell: Tricky was the reason why he hated clowns in the first place. But Hank kept his composure as best as he could, knowing that weakness would merely dig his grave even deeper.

Tricky cocked his head to his right, his hands shaking. He was still the insane psychopath Hank had remembered, it seemed.

_"L3t'5 pL4Y!"_

Before Hank was able to take the words into his head, he felt a sudden jab hit him into the stomach, and went flying through the concrete wall behind him. Hank's back screamed in pain as he stood back up. He turned around to see two more 1337 agents and another ATP agent, all stunned from what had just happened right before their eyes.

"What the-?"

Hank cut him off by knocking him out with two powerful punches into his face. The 1337 fell backwards, unconscious, as his two other partners quickly shook it off and aimed at Hank. Hank quickly picked up an S&W 500 beside him and killed the others without hesitation. He saw Tricky's head pop out of the hole that he crashed through and quickly ran outside with a Desert Eagle in the other hand. Hank heard Tricky bursting his way through the concrete wall, but focused on exiting the building first.

More agents appeared in front of him as he ran by. Hank fired rapidly with his dual weapons, not wanting to waste anymore time. He jumped up and jerked off a metal pipe hanging from the ceiling violently, storing it on his back for later. Gases began flowing out of the gap he made between the pipes. Hank quickly went out without inhaling the fumes up another flight of stairs. He didn't know whether or not it would slow Tricky down as he burst his way through another wave of enemies.

Hank just prayed that Sanford and Deimos were getting close to disabling the Improbability Drive.

* * *

Sanford threw his hook for the third time into another agent while Deimos pushed away a 1337 with a punch, pulled out a pistol, and fired into his head. More blood covered the floors as yellow and red body fluids made a bright orange mixture.

Sanford and Deimos were panting when they finally cleared the room. It was a massive task that beat the hell out of them. Receiving a couple of bruises and cuts, they walked on, trying to forget the pain that consumed their bodies.

Sanford turned around to see Deimos sweating as much as he was. God, was killing people tiring.

"Yo, Deimos."

Deimos looked up to Sanford, still inhaling heavily for air.

"Yeah San?"

"You okay?"

Deimos wiped his forehead off with the sleeve of his shirt. He examined himself.

"Just a few cuts and bruises here and there, but other than that, I'm cool." he answered.

Sanford nodded, turned away, and went to the other end of the room to pass through the door. He suddenly heard a thump behind him and quickly rotated back to Deimos. Deimos was slumping against the wall, the back of his head touching the concrete. Sanford rushed back to him and helped him up.

"Aw who am I kidding Sanford? I'm exhausted as fuck! We never did a mission this long before, and we can't even figure out how many people we killed in the past hour!" Deimos exclaimed.

Sanford shook his head. "Deimos, you know that Hank's counting on us. The whole country is. If we give up now, there won't be anyone else to stop these assholes from taking over the planet."

Deimos smirked, closing his eyes and snapping them back wide open while staring at the ceiling.  
"Pfft. Anyone can say shit like that and do nothing! Even if we _think_ that way, it doesn't change the fact that we're done for."

Sanford knew Deimos was right, and figured that the kid needed an energy booster. He saw a first-aid box hanging on the wall next to them and walked over to it. Sanford opened it up.

Perfect. Two unused syringes filled with steroids.

Sanford picked up one needle for himself and picked up the other for Deimos.

"Here." Sanford merely stated to Deimos.

Deimos quickly knew what Sanford was holding, and stared at him with the classic 'Are-you-serious?' -look.

"What?" Sanford questioned when he saw Deimos's attitude.

"Sanford, I have only _**one hand. **_Do you really fucking expect me to use a needle without the other?" Deimos reasoned.

Sanford sighed. He went down to Deimos crouching on the floor.

"Hold still faggot." he muttered as he jabbed the needle into Deimos's arm.

"Ow! Not so hard!" Deimos whined.

"Oh shut it, you little bitch. I'm not giving you a damn booster-shot, so man-up." Sanford sent back.

Deimos cringed at the foreign feeling, but quickly shot back up, shuddered and fist-pumped into the air.

"YEAH! LET'S DO THIS SHIT!" he yelled out loud.

Sanford rolled his eyes and used the other needle on himself. He shuddered as well and stood up-right. This was a pretty strong drug, and he was wondering if it was good idea to give Deimos a round of it in the first place.

Deimos picked up an M-16 with both hands. Sanford looked at him puzzled.

"What the hell? Didn't you just say you couldn't use both hands?" he asked him.

Deimos blinked twice and turned to Sanford, shaking.

"I DID? OOPS! WHO GIVES A FUCK! LET'S GO!" Deimos said in one-shot.

Deimos ran through the door Sanford was in front of a few minutes ago, charging with gunfire rattling the walls.

"Deimos, wait!" Sanford shouted before he could stop him. He gritted his teeth and ran towards his speeding partner. Sanford wouldn't be surprised if Deimos was dead by the time he got there, but instead, he was shocked to see 8 A.A.H.W. bodies lying on the ground with Deimos breathing slowly yet deeply.

Sanford shook his head. Deimos was energetic enough on his own, but with a boost, he was almost as nuts as Tricky the Clown.

Sanford put his hand on Deimos's shoulder.

"Deimos?"

Deimos turned his head to Sanford, grabbing his shoulders tightly as if in a death-grip.

"OH HI SANFORD! I JUST BUTTFUCKED THESE GUYS WHILE YOU WERE TOO BUSY HANGING OUT BACK THERE! HOW'S THE WEATHER!? GOOD!? GREAT!? OH THAT'S FANTASTIC NEWS! LET'S GO TO THE PARK AFTER THIS! OR MAYBE THE BEACH!? OR HOW ABOUT WE RUN A MARATHON!? OR PLAY CHESS!? OR PLAY CHESS WHILE RUNNING THE MARATHON!?" Deimos said, wide-eyed.

Sanford twitched. He tried using his nice side on Deimos, but it looks like he's gonna have to take it to the next level to deal with this amount of stupidity.

Sanford slapped Deimos hard on his right cheek. Deimos blinked and stumbled back.

"Whoa...the fuck just happened?" Deimos asked, escaping his trance.

Sanford stared at Deimos, expressionless.

"Nothin' much. Just you being an idiot like usual. That's all." Sanford told him.

Deimos suddenly felt a burning sensation in his hand. He saw himself holding a rifle, and quickly dropped it to the ground like a bunch of hot coals.

"Ah! It fucking burns!" he screamed as he shook off his damaged hand.

Sanford face-palmed himself. He couldn't find the words to describe the situation anymore...

Deimos suddenly heard some buzzing going on behind the door near them. He turned and saw the words "AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY".

"Sanford, check that door out!" Deimos pointed out, clutching the bad hand.

Sanford lifted his hand off of his face and saw where Deimos was referring to. It didn't take long for him to figure too that they were at the end of the line.

Their part of the mission was almost over.

Sanford pressed a button near the door to open it. He cursed himself as he saw this was of no use.

"Damn it. We need special access to get through here." he explained to Deimos.

Deimos grinned. "Or..."

* * *

The Advanced ATP agent along with his partners were frantically putting in codes for the computer to handle. They were sitting around a very large, bullet-proof case, with their most valuable artifact inside: The Improbability Drive.

The engineer had heard the shots behind the door and knew that things would not go as planned. Dan had not only rushed them, but also, Hank, Sanford, and Deimos were getting dangerously close to foiling their plans once more. But this time, they were sure to make the plan go down the way Dan had told them, regardless of the outcome of this fight.

The agent typed in one last line of code. He pressed enter, and the computer began working everything out in its mainframe. As he planned, he heard the door behind him explode, and bullets fly at his colleagues, killing them all instantaneously. He sighed, closed his eyes, and heard the click of the trigger behind him.

* * *

Deimos fired and saw the last ATP agent's head burst in satisfaction. He and Sanford saw the Drive in the middle of the room on top of a pedestal, protected by the bullet-proof casing.

Deimos ran to the computer where the agent placed his commands in. He wiped off the blood covering the monitor with his hands and saw the black screen with white words quickly move upwards. Sanford followed him and stood right by his side.

"Can't you think of anything else _**besides**_ blowing up doors to get to where you want?" he questioned Deimos.

Deimos chuckled. "If you have any other smart ideas, then by all means Sanford, be my guest."

Sanford stared down the screen to where Deimos was focused seriously on. To Sanford, all the codes were hieroglyphics, but Deimos knew what they all meant.

Sanford jumped back as he saw Deimos slam his fist onto the table.

"Fuck! We're too late!" Deimos said after this.

Sanford felt his hopes plummet to the ground as soon as he heard this.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!?"

Deimos looked at Sanford hopelessly. "The guy who typed this all up knew we were coming here. It's over. He set up the lock-down code. We're screwed..."

Sanford couldn't believe his ears. Was Deimos serious?

No, there had to be a way.

"Don't just sit there then, Deimos! Do something! **ANYTHING!** Hank will die if we just sit here! You're the fucking computer nerd! SO JUST FIGURE SOMETHING OUT!" Sanford screamed at him.

Deimos bit his lip. Sanford was right. This wasn't the Deimos that promised Hank to always look out for his back, and Deimos knew it. He closed his eyes, concentrating, and opened them. Deimos knew that he could at least disable the Drive long enough until Hank did what he had to do. He could stall the energy being released for at most, 2 hours. By then, they should be done, and he would have more time to finish this off.

He could do this.

Deimos lifted his hands and began typing in more codes he could think of to counter the A.A.H.W.'s plans. Sanford watched in awe at Deimos's expertise. Of course, Sanford saw Deimos do this many times before, but not with this amount of intensity. Sanford grinned to himself as he saw his partner's confidence return. He knew Deimos wasn't smart. In fact, Sanford knew that Deimos wasn't merely gifted at all.

Deimos was a computer-hacking** genius.****  
**

* * *

Hank coughed up blood. He grabbed the dirt around him tightly into his palms, and let the soil race down his hands, just to feel the earth one last time.

Yes, Hank was able to escape the building, but that wasn't until Tricky popped up from the earth beneath him and knocked him smack through a building. His ribs were broken in several places, and it was getting harder to breathe with every passing second.

Tricky walked slowly towards him, enjoying every last, painful moment. He wanted to be the one to kill Hank this time. And with Jebus out of the way, there was no stopping him.

Tricky grabbed Hank's neck with a firm grip that made Hank gag. He slammed Hank to another solid wall. Hank's head was ringing from all the bashing he had to go through.

_**"I5n'T tH15 fuN H4nK!?"**_ Tricky asked him. Hank felt his head sag, but he stayed awake. The minute he would leave consciousness, he knew that he was dead.

And when he was dead, Sanford and Deimos were dead too.

And then Dan would kill everyone in Nevada.

And then the A.A.H.W. would take over the country.

Hank swallowed, but felt the blood and saliva get stuck in the middle of his throat from where Tricky was choking him. The fingers closing onto his neck were tightening. He didn't know how long he would have until Tricky would suffocate him to death.

Tricky pulled Hank away from the wall, and bashed him again. Hank yelled in agony as dust flew from the wall and cracked behind him. Tricky did it again, and again, until Hank barely had the strength to moan. Then, Tricky pushed with extreme force onto Hank's body, shoving him through the wall. By now, they were behind the building, and Hank had reached his limit.

Hank stared upwards blankly. He needed more time to recover, but he knew that Tricky wouldn't give him the chance this time.

_'Damn...'_

Tricky walked towards him slowly again. They were mere feet apart.

_'I really fucked up didn't I...'_

More footsteps. Hank clenched his fists.

_'So, this is where it ends, huh...?'_

Tricky and Hank were a foot away from each other.

_'What a shitty life. And a shitty way to die.'_

Tricky pulled out a stop-sign nearby him.

_'...I'm so sorry...'_

Tricky let the familiar touch of the weapon into his fingers.

_'...Sanford...'_

Tricky smirked, his eyes wide with joy and amusement.

_'...Deimos...'_

Hank closed his eyes as Tricky lifted the sign up, ready to smash Hank into a pancake.

_'...I failed...again...'_

Hank glared at Tricky one last time, hating the fact that this would be the last thing he would see before he dies.

_"__**DIE."**_ Tricky said in a satanic tone of voice.

Hank heard a piercing screech instead of feeling the stop-sign smash his body.

Hank's eyes shot open. He was stunned at the fact that he was still alive.

"Huh?"

Hank looked up and saw Tricky in pain. His confusion was quickly replaced with realization.

Deimos had done it. He had disabled the Improbability Drive long enough for Hank to catch his breath.

Hank backed away from Tricky, feeling his strength return to him. Tricky grasped his head, with the word "ERR0R!1!11!" flashing in red letters underneath him.

Tricky looked up to Hank, who had taken advantage of this moment. Now it was Tricky's turn to cough up blood. Tricky was angered by the fact that his final moments with Hank had been interrupted by an outside force again.

"OMFG! YOU DON'T KILL CLOWN! CLOWN KILLS YOU!" Tricky screamed, trying to make sure that Hank's hopes of eliminating him wouldn't return.

Hank pulled out the only weapon at his disposal: the metal pipe behind his back. The scene was all too familiar: Tricky and him fighting to the death with only melee weapons. Hank pulled it out and held it in his right hand.

"No. You're wrong Tricky. You're bleeding." Hank started.

Tricky pulled up the stop-sign defensively, ready for combat.

"And anything that bleeds, dies." Hank continued.

Hank gripped his iron pipe as hard as he could. He swung it towards Tricky. Tricky blocked it with the long pole of his sign. Their faces were only inches apart.

"**SO DO US ALL A FAVOR AND GO TO HELL YOU BASTARD!"** Hank shouted as he jumped back, ready for another swing.

* * *

A/N: Okay. 29. Done. It's around 2,950 words, so it definitely is long enough to be considered in my 2000-3000 word chapters. I'm sorry this felt short though: I will update by Sunday so you guys get more for less!

Reviewer's Credit:

* * *

Nikolai247: Thanks for your review! I'm glad you still enjoy this story, even during its climax, and yes, this is getting intense. In a sense, no, this isn't Tricky v2.0, but more of a degraded version because I don't want to shift too much focus off of Dan (since he is the main antagonist). That doesn't mean this will lose its epic-ness. In fact, it is just beginning. Don't worry though: the next chapter will focus more on Tricky and Hank's fight since I sorta missed that in this chapter only because the setting just wasn't right. Epic fights happen usually outside, so I needed this part to move the background outdoors.

P.S. I like what you did with your profile. It makes your page look more interesting with a Bio. And also, if you do make stories, make sure to share it with all of us!

* * *

Sackrum: LOL. Oh fuck yes it did. SHIT JUST GOT PERSONAL.

By the way, nice job on the stories! Really love how you're doin' so far, so keep up the awesome work!

* * *

Credits over. Again, thank you all for reading this story! I am doing my best making this epic, and I hope you guys feel like I accomplished it! Keep showing your support, and review if you have anything to say!

By the way, Krinkels just uploaded a pic of Madness Combat 11 on his Newgrounds page. It might not look like much, but you could notice there is an OBSV agent in the background getting pwned. (DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN!).

I will update A.S.A.P., so please keep your eyes open. Also, I am making another fanfic with OC's (Original Characters) from fans! If you wanna submit your OC to the first ever Madness Combat fanfic with OC's from real people in it, then go ahead! I need at least 8 people for this, so I suggest highly that you PM me about your own ideas! Nikolai did submit his own OC, so if you guys wanna try-out, you all have that free choice as well! Hurry, because if I get overflown with people's OC's, then there may be no spot for your Character too! All you have to do is describe your character's personality, physical traits, clothes, flaws (yes those too, I don't want fucking Gods in my story), and favorite weapons as well as least favorites.

Other than that, not much to say, but thank you! All of you are an awesome crowd, so I wanna give a shout-out to you readers out there! You guys inspire me to write, so keep it up! I will be working on Chapter 30 tomorrow, and with this, I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Final Salvation!

~Spirit9871


	30. The New Game Piece

Chapter 30: The New Game Piece

* * *

Deimos sighed in exhaustion and relief as he finally entered the last code that weakened the discharge of the Improbability Drive's energy. He could only hope that he had made it in time before Hank would get into any real trouble.

Deimos closed his eyes and slumped back onto his chair. He turned around as he felt Sanford's hand on his right shoulder.

"Ya' did good Deimos." Sanford complimented.

Deimos grinned. "Thanks. And besides, watcha' expect from a pro like me? Bet you can't do the shit I just pulled off right now without my 'magic fingers'!"

Sanford frowned. "Don't push it Deimos..."

Deimos laughed at his partner's disapproval. As soon as he was about to get up too, Sanford stared at the monitor, confused at the codes written on it.

"Hey Deimos, is that supposed to be happening?" Sanford asked as he pointed to the screen.

Deimos turned back around to see the computer for himself, and as soon as he began reading the lines of code, his confident smirk vanished.

"Oh fuck no..." he muttered.

Sanford turned to him. "I'm sorry Deimos. I can't read nerd. Can you please translate what the fuck is on this screen over here?"

Deimos shook his head. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out what's going on Sanford. Take a look at it again."

Sanford took Deimos's advice, and read the lines. His eyes widened as he scanned the last line:

[ CLOWN .EXE HAS BEEN ENGAGED]

Sanford made a small gulp. "So that means..."

"Tricky's back." Deimos finished for Sanford, pulling out another cigarette to smoke.

Sanford turned to Deimos quickly. "Hank is probably fighting Tricky off alone right now! And you know how much of a _**DISASTER**_ that turned out last time, don't you?"

Deimos dropped his lighter as he realized they had more to swallow down their throats than they bargained for.

"Well what the fuck are we standing around here for then? Let's go!" Deimos shouted back.

Sanford and Deimos ran back up the flights meeting little to no opposition. That meant the fight in Nevada was starting to reach a climax and it wouldn't take long for the A.A.H.W. to let out a full-blown attack on the Nevadans. In other words, they didn't have much time left until they'd get screwed.

The two men finally reached the exit and looked around them. All the cars and trucks nearby were either destroyed or flipped over onto their sides.

Sanford grimaced. "Shit! What the hell are we supposed to ride in now? We can't go by foot! Hank's gonna be dog chow by the time we get there!"

Deimos sighed and pointed to one truck from the distance. "Well...not exactly. There is **one **more thing we could use to get there, but I bet you won't like it Sanford..."

Sanford turned to where Deimos was pointing to and groaned.

"Are you fucking kidding me!?"

* * *

_CLANG!_

Hank flipped backwards again to make some more space between himself and Tricky. But Tricky wasn't going to allow it, and counter-attacked, jumping high up into the air and coming down with a slice of his sign. Hank blocked that too with his pipe, and the two weapons made another 'CLANG' that echoed through the distance.

Tricky quickly aimed for Hank's right side, only to be deflected again and again. Hank knew Tricky was slowing down, so he took advantage of the moment.

Tricky growled in anger and came again with another swing. This time though, Hank jumped backwards and came back in with a nice smack on the left side of Tricky's head.

Tricky flinched, enraged by his slowed reaction time and his vulnerability to Hank. Hank swung three more times into Tricky's head, all knocking some more blood out of his skull.

_**"En0uGH!"**_ Tricky hollered as he grabbed the pipe before Hank could make a fourth hit. He yanked it out of Hank's possession and threw it behind him. Unfortunately, Hank got overconfident of himself and sent two fists at Tricky's face: one cracking his iron slab, and the other Tricky grabbed with an open palm. Hank tried to move back, but Tricky held on tight, and used his free fist to punch Hank in the stomach three times.

Hank gasped for air. Even in his weakened state, Tricky was still too powerful to defeat in hand-to-hand combat.

Tricky pushed Hank away and pointed out his index finger to the sky. A reddish glow came from the tip of his finger as he shifted it downwards. Hank saw a large, square shadow cover him, and looked up. He gaped.

"SHIT!" Hank yelled out, as he saw the giant building falling towards his head.

Hank made a run for it and jumped to safety just before the cement floor was about to squash him like a bug. Tricky however, expected this, and came running towards Hank before he had enough time to react. Hank felt another fist make contact with his body and smack him through the concrete wall.

Hank stood back up, waving the dust away from the impact. He shuddered as he felt his shoulder make a loud crack.

"So many cement walls...why can't Nevada have a pillow factory for God's sake?" he muttered.

Hank turned around to see three bewildered 1337 agents staring at him. He clenched his fists.

"As much as I'd love to fuck with you guys, I have to get out of this mess, so I would really appreciate it if you all just stepped aside for me, pretty please?" Hank proposed.

The agents looked at each other, then back at Hank. One pulled out a small USP match, another used the beer bottle he was drinking, and the third took out a carbon knife.

Hank sighed. "I _did _give you guys a chance. But fine, you can die if you want."

Hank jumped to the side as the first 1337's bullet flew by him. He ran towards him, punched him in the gut twice, and finished his enemy off with a back-fist to the face. The second 1337 threw his beer bottle to Hank, but Hank's reflexes were fast enough to catch it hurdling towards his head, and threw it back. The 1337 fell backwards when the bottle smashed onto his skull, blood oozing out on the floor. The final agent came running towards Hank with his knife, but before he could stab him, Hank grabbed the wrist with the weapon he was holding, snatched it out of his hand, and stabbed him three times back. A nice little stunt they taught at the Anti-A.A.H.W.

Hank turned around and saw Tricky's stop sign blasting through the wall. He picked up the USP match and fired twice towards the psychotic clown. Tricky had no choice but to block, and Hank ran to the door in front of him away from his nemesis. He had to get a better weapon somewhere and somewhere _fast_.

Hank entered the room. An Advanced ATP agent was hiding behind a crate, prepared from hearing the gunfire outside, while two 1337s advanced at Hank with more bottles. Hank stabbed the first in the head, letting the knife go, and shot the second in the stomach. The 1337 grasped his abdomen in agony, but fell soon after.

Hank cart-wheeled to the left behind a metal barrel as he saw the Advanced ATP agent started firing at him with an FAL. Hank knew he couldn't get out of his cover, but had a brilliant idea. He saw the light hanging on top of the agent's head, held up by a metal pole from the ceiling. Although it would seem impossible to shoot something so thin, Hank smirked.

Hank fired at the pole with deadly accuracy while the ATP agent was quickly reloading his weapon. Just as Hank planned, the lamp came falling down, collapsing onto the agent's skull. He fell backwards, struggling to get the glass shards of the light-bulb off of him, but Hank fired into his chest.

Hank saw a locker next to where the agent's corpse was. He picked up the FAL and threw away his empty pistol. As he opened locker after locker, he would find nothing in disappointment, until he reached the last one.

Hank opened it desperately, and pulled out what was inside. He cocked his head curiously at his find.

"A miniature time-bomb? Why the hell would an agent keep something like this in here?" he asked himself.

Unfortunately for Hank, he didn't have the time to find the answer as Tricky's voice echoed from far away. He put the time-bomb into his pocket, not knowing how it would help him at that point, but wasn't willing to lose any opportunities.

_**"H4nK! wH3rE AR3 y0U!?1!/!?"**_

Hank ran into the next room, killing more 1337 and ATP agents. He finally saw a room with a sign saying **"DANGER"** over it, along with an exit nearby. Knowing that he needed more supplies to fight with, Hank ignored the exit and went into what he thought was a room with an arsenal of weapons. Inside, it was too dark, so he pulled out his lighter and nearly took a dump in his pants from what he saw.

With a shock of realization, Hank knew what he had to do.

* * *

Tricky came bursting through the door where Hank was a few seconds ago. He saw the dead agents and the lockers left open.

Tricky looked at the two doors near him. Obviously, Hank had just passed through here not so long ago, but the question was: which door did he take?

Tricky noticed the trail of blood underneath his feet. Hank was bleeding and it would be a piece of cake to find him.

Tricky smirked. "_**I KN0W WH3RE U R H4NK!"**_

Tricky ran through the door with the "**DANGER"** sign over it. He came in, shaking wildly from excitement. However, it was too dark for him to see and there wasn't a light switch in sight.

Tricky picked up the lighter Hank had dropped, clicked it on, and was shocked at his find.

Tricky just trapped himself inside of a whole room of deadly explosives.

Before he was going to leave, Tricky heard a ticking sound from the middle of the room. Tricky looked back and saw the time-bomb where the sound came from, counting down from 3 seconds.

Tricky's eyes widened.

"_**OH TEH NOES!"**_

* * *

Hank ran out of the building through the exit. He had cut his palm on purpose to lead the fake trail of blood to Tricky's doom.

After making sure he was a fair distance away from the area, he grinned as he heard Tricky's voice in fear.

"Oh teh yes." Hank said silently to himself as he saw the building combust into flames and collapse into itself.

Hank pulled out his FAL. He knew it wasn't over. There was just no way. Hank knew what would come next.

That the fight was just beginning.

Hank saw three lasers fizz through the air and red static blur his vision once more. This was it: Tricky's final form.

A large, flaming object flew into the sky and came crashing down to the ground, a few feet away from Hank. Hank took a few steps back. This monster had made his life a living nightmare. And it was time to end it.

Tricky roared in his monster-like form: a flaming behemoth with two claws, treading with no feet.

Hank aimed his rifle at Tricky's head.

"Come on fucker. Show me what you got this time."

* * *

Sanford took the wheel as Deimos stayed in the back. They were both embarrassed as hell that _this_ was their getaway vehicle.

An ice-cream truck...

Deimos clasped his ears from the annoying, classic jingle, the truck made to call children for their icy desert. At first, he was sort of happy to hear the old ring of the truck he used to hum to himself when he was a child. But now, after hearing it 15 times in a row, it just pissed him off. He couldn't figure out how the people who drove these things stayed sane.

Deimos turned to Sanford. "Sanford! Can't you turn the music off? I'm getting sick and tired of hearing the same thing over and over again!"

"Deimos, what makes you think that I actually ENJOY hearing this shit!? I've been trying to shut this thing up for the last FIVE MINUTES. I can't even tell how to use the windshield wipers on this stupid piece of crap!" Sanford yelled back.

Deimos frowned. He was slumping against the wall, trying to regain his energy and keep his cool. Eventually, Deimos decided he needed some more fresh air rather than have the smell of different ice-cream flavors suffocating him.

Deimos opened the back doors only to see two black trucks following them.

"We got company Sanford!" he warned.

Sanford looked through the side-mirror of the car to see what Deimos was talking about. He saw two Advanced ATP agents driving each truck, one of them in one truck sticking their head out of the window holding an Automag V in his right hand. Deimos knew the amount of firepower packed into the pistol, and took cover as he heard the bullet hit the back of the ice-cream truck.

Deimos opened the doors back up as he realized the ATP agents in the first truck were distracted.

Sanford, still driving the best he could on the road without falling off the cliff, began shouting at Deimos.

"Deimos! Don't just sit there and do NOTHING! Get rid of them!"

Deimos rolled his eyes. "Jeez Sanford, I'd just LOVE to do that, but SOMEBODY just had to get rid of my guns ON THE ELEVATOR."

"Well think of something you moron! I can't keep this up!" Sanford said.

Deimos looked around him desperately. He suddenly saw the buckets of ice-cream near him.

Deimos face-palmed himself. "Fuck..."

* * *

The ATP agent looked at his partner. "Are we actually chasing an ice-cream truck?"

His partner sighed, not understanding why Sanford and Deimos chose that vehicle out off all the cars and trucks in the world. "Just...go with it...at least this'll make our jobs easier." he responded.

The ATP agent on the wheel focused on giving his partner a good angle again. Suddenly, he saw a bucket filled with something brown come flying at him.

"What the hell is that?" he questioned.

The bucket hit the ATP agent firing his pistol, knocking him out of the truck and skid his head onto the road. Yellow blood trailed the pavement from where he fell.

The ATP agent stared wide-eyed at what just happened. He looked back to his front, seeing Deimos sticking up the middle finger at him.

"EAT MY VANILLA CREAM, BITCHES!" Deimos hollered as he threw another bucket, this time filled with vanilla ice-cream. The bucket splattered all over the wind-shield of the truck.

"Shit! I can't see!" The ATP agent yelled as the wind-shield wipers weren't able to clean the smudges the sticky ice-cream made.

* * *

Deimos laughed as he saw the truck swerve left and right, until it drove off the edge of the cliff, exploding when it fell to the bottom.

Sanford tried his best to keep driving without looking behind him. "Seriously Deimos? 'EAT MY VANILLA ICE-CREAM!' was the best you could come up with in 10 seconds?"

Deimos shrugged. "I was caught in the moment bro."

Deimos flinched as he heard another bullet fire towards him. He had forgotten all about the second truck.

The ATP agent driving this truck rammed into them. Sanford quickly regained his balance thanks to his seatbelt, but Deimos flew to the side of the truck with the buckets spilling all over him. Deimos shook off the ice-cream in disgust and rage.

"Aw man! These were fucking new dude! Those bastards are gonna pay!" Deimos angrily yelled out, getting a handful of strawberry ice-cream and sticking it into his mouth.

Sanford turned his head to the right and saw the agents' truck next to theirs'. This time though, Sanford rammed into them, and the truck's sides were scratched by the wall of the cliff and the ice-cream truck.

The ATP agent pushed Sanford away and went in front of him. The hatches on the back opened, and a whole gang of ATP agents appeared, just like in Madness Combat 9.

Sanford gritted his teeth again. "Not this shit again!"

But instead of firing right at Sanford, The agents hopped onto the ice-cream truck's roof, one-by-one, until all 7 of them were on. It seemed as though the A.A.H.W. had learned their mistakes from before.

Sanford finally got impatient and jerked the wheel to the left. Two agents fell off the roof as he did this, and Sanford knocked the ATP agents' truck off the cliff. The other five walked carefully to the other end of the truck, balancing the best they could from Sanford throwing them off. One agent came down the door's window, firing his gun at Sanford. But Sanford had ducked, came back up, and knocked out the ATP agent. He was holding a Glock, so Sanford threw that to Deimos.

Deimos caught it with his good hand and saw the agents come down at him. Deimos fired at one agent, making him fly off onto the speeding road, but the other jumped to the side, and fired his UZI. Deimos turned to his right, the bullet merely cutting through the sleeve of his shirt, and retaliated. The ATP agent took the bullet to the face, scattering his brains on the walls. Deimos kept the gun in his pocket and picked up the UZI.

The last two agents came down together this time: one holding a baton and the other with another Automag. Deimos threw his UZI at the ATP agent with the gun, watching him fall off the back of the truck as well, and turned to the second agent with the baton. Not willing to waste ammo, Deimos picked up a handful of the ice-cream scattered on the floor and slapped it on the agent's face.

"That's for messing with my shirt jackass!" Deimos said.

"I'M LACTOSE INTOLERANT!" The ATP agent yelled as he accidently swallowed the ice-cream Deimos shoved through his mask.

Sanford and Deimos laughed when they heard that, but stopped when they saw the agent commit suicide by jumping onto the speeding road.

"Guess he was actually telling the truth..." Deimos told Sanford, stunned.

Sanford shook his head. "Looks like he really did eat your cream Deimos."

Deimos turned red, knowing the perverted humor Sanford placed in that sentence. "Shut up San!"

Sanford saw the three bright white lasers streak up high from the distance. He remembered Hank telling him the story of when Tricky turned into his monstrous form and him describing the exact same events happening right now.

"I'm speeding up Deimos, so you better brace yourself!"

* * *

Hank clutched his side. He was bleeding heavily, and the fact that he was already tired as hell didn't help either.

Hank was limping away from Tricky back into the town, not knowing what to do at this point. Tricky seemed to take the bullets of his rifle as if he was firing a pellet gun. Miraculously, he escaped with his life, but took quite a few nasty blows. The only reason why he's still even standing was because of his blessed power to stay alive even without half-a-body. The Higher Powers must've increased his stamina before he left the organization for good.

Hank knew he didn't have much time left until Tricky would find him. He was going down the road as fast as he could. Hell, Tricky probably already knew where he was, but was merely watching him suffer through it all, like a child watching an ant-farm at work.

Hank's luck ran out.

Tricky burst his fist through a building, crashing through it to meet Hank face-to-face.

"_**YOU MUST SUFFER."**_ Tricky said in that same, satanic voice he remembered from almost 3 years ago.

Hank sighed. He couldn't even defeat Tricky in his normal form without help from Sanford and Deimos, so it was stupid of him to think that he would be able to beat him now. Hank wondered what Tricky had in mind for him this time, but knew that Tricky wasn't going to bring him back again, just like in Madness Combat 7.

Hank heard Tricky's right fist whiz up into the air. He closed his eyes.

Game over.

...or was it?

Tricky and Hank froze in what they were doing as they heard something that sounded like...an ice-cream truck?

Tricky and Hank turned to the direction from where the music was coming from. They saw Sanford driving the truck and Deimos on top of it.

"Let's see how you like ice-cream!" Deimos said as he threw a bucket of strawberry ice-cream into Tricky's right eye. Tricky stumbled back, trying to wipe off the desert from his eyes. Sanford though, was thinking otherwise, and drove faster towards Tricky.

Hank knew what they were planning and jumped away from danger. When Tricky opened his eyes again, he saw the truck coming at him at a dangerous speed.

"_**NOES!"**_ Tricky cried, as Sanford jumped out at the last second, wearing the metal-plated chest armor he stole from the ATP agent trying to take the wheel from him, and skidded safely on the road like a penguin. Deimos jumped out of the truck towards Hank standing nearby.

"CATCH MEEEEE!" Deimos called to Hank as he flew towards him. Hank stared wide-eyed at the spectacle he was watching and raised up his arms in shock.

"NO, NO, NO, DEIMOS!" Hank desperately said. But Deimos couldn't stop himself and slammed into Hank.

Tricky felt the ice-cream truck blast towards his large head, and knocked him into a concrete building. The truck's gas tank made contact with Tricky's flames, exploding on contact, and caused the whole building to collapse on Tricky.

Sanford stood up, clipping off the metal plate (which was now in shambles after his stunt) latched onto his body. He saw Deimos on top of Hank.

Hank pushed Deimos off, and moaned.

"Heh...oops! Sorry Hank! I didn't know what to do at the time, so I had no choice but to let you catch me." Deimos apologized.

Hank laid on the ground with an angry expression. Sanford and Deimos watched him do so, not understanding why he wasn't getting up. Hank turned his head to them.

"Aren't one of you retards going to help me up?" Hank asked.

Sanford walked towards Hank and stuck out a hand. Hank grabbed it, and pulled himself up.

Deimos smiled at him cheekily. Sanford and Hank turned towards him when they saw this.

Deimos pulled out the gift he was hiding all this time to give to Hank personally. Hank opened up the weapon covered in cloths slowly, and saw his gift. He chuckled.

Deimos had given him a katana. Just like in Madness Combat 5.

Hank nodded to Deimos in approval. "Thanks Deimos. I appreciate it."

Deimos stuck up a thumb. "No prob!"

Hank walked towards the remains of the truck. Sanford and Deimos followed him, seeing Tricky's body in the mess. Tricky's whole head was gone, leaving only his body behind. Sanford and Deimos had destroyed the P.I.D. (Portable Improbability Drive) set in Tricky's head.

Hank stared at Tricky emotionlessly. "So that's how it ends for a psychopath like you, huh Tricky? You screw over a bunch of people and die by an ice-cream truck. Somehow, it does suit somebody like you."

Sanford and Deimos merely watched Hank say his last words to Tricky's corpse. The music of the ice-cream truck slowed down, and died with a buzz of electricity.

_"And a death full of suffering suits you Hank."_

Hank tripped backwards from the sudden words appearing out of nowhere. He scanned the environment around him. Sanford and Deimos didn't say it, that's for sure, and Tricky was dead. But he heard it loud and clear, knowing it wasn't his doing.

Sanford and Deimos were staring in shock at Hank's panicking.

Sanford broke out of his trance first. "Hank, are you okay?"

Hank felt himself suddenly start sweating more than usual. "Who the hell just said that?"

Deimos looked at Hank puzzled. "Sanford just wanted to ask-"

"No, not _that_. I mean, who told me that I deserve a death full of suffering?" Hank corrected.

Sanford also watched Hank confusedly. "Huh? Nobody said anything like that. It's only me and Deimos here."

Hank grasped his head. He felt blood rushing through it suddenly, and fell to his knees.

"AGH!" he yelled in agony.

Sanford bent down next to Hank as soon as he showed signs of pain. "Hank!"

_"You don't recognize my voice Hank? Try a little bit harder."_

Hank began shaking and stared angrily in front of him, even though there was nobody except his two friends around him.

"Dan..." he angrily muttered.

Sanford and Deimos turned to each other, then back to Hank. They couldn't hear the voice, but Hank could hear it perfectly.

_"That's right Hank. It's me. I have to praise you for your victory against Tricky, but nonetheless, I'm still not done yet with what I have in store for you."_

Hank gritted his teeth. "Where are you, you fucker! Show your face!"

_"Oh Hank, I'm NOWHERE near you. In fact, you can say, I'm in your HEAD."_

"My head!?"

_"Yes, your head. I bet you can remember the time where I spared your life in Langstone's Bar. That was with a reason of course: as I said before, I have the power to make your existence a living hell."_

"How-"

_"You still can't figure it out? Even with your brilliant idea of blasting Tricky into oblivion in the demolition room? Pity. I expected more from the Great Hank J. Wimbleton. Back at Langstone Bar, I'm sure you overheard my conversation with a fellow agent. That time where I implanted something into your back. It's fascinating how the human brain works, don't you agree? But, it's even MORE fascinating on how a person can MANIPULATE IT, to his own advantages, and to another's dismay. The chip I've installed into your body gives me the power to control your actions and monitor your thoughts. True, I could've just frozen your body solid. But what fun would watching a man rip apart another paralyzed man be? No Hank, that wasn't the reason why I've cast you under my hands."_

Hank suddenly remembered the sting he felt as he went into unconsciousness in the bar. That must've been the chip Dan was talking about!

Hank put his hand onto the top of his backbone and sure enough, he felt a small, circular object. Hank gripped onto it and yanked as hard as he could, only to no avail.

_"Don't bother trying to fight it Hank. The chip had long before implanted itself deep into your spine. I have the power to turn on and shut off everything in your body. I even have the power to stop your heart from beating. But alas, that's also not why I did this to you."_

Sanford and Deimos, not understanding Hank's actions, came near Hank to comfort him anyway they could. Hank shakily turned his head towards his comrades, who were clearly worried about him. Hank realized he couldn't speak: Dan must've stopped that part of his brain from functioning.

_"Quick question Hank: how do you like your friends? Sliced into bite-sized pieces? Or swiss-cheesed by bullets?"_

Hank immediately remembered the dream where he seemed to be attacking his own friends. Everything had gone perfectly as his visions said.

Dan was going to kill his two friends with his body.

Hank pulled out a pocket-knife.

'No! You're not taking them! Even if it means I have to go!' he thought to Dan.

Hank heard Dan's awful laughter.

_"I'm sorry for any inconvenience Hank, but that's just not an option."_

Hank pulled the knife back, aiming for the center of his chest. Sanford and Deimos gaped at what they thought was Hank killing himself. But Hank had failed.

He was only a few centimeters away from where he wanted the knife to pierce.

Only a few centimeters away from saving his friends.

Hank tried to move, but he was paralyzed.

_"Don't worry Hank. I'll be sure to take __**GOOD**__ care of your friends in this body!"_

Hank felt his palms open and the knife drop to the floor.

'No...' his last thought was, before falling into the darkness of his mind and losing his strength to Dan's will.

Sanford and Deimos were still dumbfounded at what was going on. They finally saw Hank stand up towards the two of them.

Sanford and Deimos stood up with him, not leaving their sight on Hank for a second.

"Hank?" Deimos broke the tension with.

Hank pulled out the katana Deimos had given him from his back.

"Goodbye." Hank told Sanford and Deimos.

* * *

A/N: Oh fuck. I just wrote, literally, 4,848 words! HOLY FREAKING SHIT! THAT'S SO FUCKING LONG! (that's what she said, LOL).

Okay, before I get to Reviewers' Credit, I want to talk about something important to all of you guys.

As you may or may not know, Madness Combat actually has an archive for itself on Fanfiction .net. It's under cartoons, and click "M" to see it. The problem is, there are only two stories in that archive! Yes, I repeat, TWO STORIES! That doesn't include this one and also doesn't include Nikolai's Fanfiction on his OC (which I will feature in my next Fanfiction along with others')! So, I've come up with a solution.

I've begun a new revolution called: "The Madness Combat Fanfiction Revolution". It is a forum you can find under Misc. Cartoons, and it is also a community for those of you wanting to submit Madness Combat stories (but you have to PM me your story first!). This Revolution will make Madness Combat a well-known Fanfiction topic on this site! But, I need your help! If you really, REALLY, want to support Madness Combat, Krinkels, and/or me and my stories, then you MUST check this forum out! It is the future of Madness Combat itself on this site!

If you cannot find it on the search engines, then you can find the link on the beginning of my profile.

* * *

Also, along with this, I will make another Fanfiction on Madness Combat (Multi-chaptered), and it will be based on OC's that people had made along with the classic Madness Combat characters you all know and love. In this case, please read the Fanfiction made by Nikolai247, called "NIKOLAI'S LEGACY: A MADNESS COMBAT FANFICTION". I can't post links here because this site screws it up via uploading, but you can find it under my favorite stories or look up Nikolai247 and see his profile to find it. TRUST ME, YOU MUST READ THIS FANFICTION TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE NEXT ONE, SO PLEASE READ IT A.S.A.P.

* * *

Okay, now that's done, Reviewers' Credit.

* * *

Nikolai247: Thanks for your review dude! That means a lot to me that you liked that chapter. As you can see, the fight between Hank and Tricky had ended, but a very big one is starting! I hope you will continue to enjoy this story!

* * *

Sackrum: Hey, I'm glad you liked the Soviet Russia reference on "OMG YOU DON'T KILL CLOWN, CLOWN KILLS YOU!", but that quote was made by Krinkels, not me, on Madness Combat 5. It's the last line in that movie, so you can obviously find it without a lot of hassle.

P.S., I do have my own favorite character on Madness Combat too, but I don't want to say it since it might cause bias. I will be open to all characters and the brilliance of their makings from Krinkels.

* * *

Credits over. Thank you all again so much! We've hit 1,300 views already, which made me shit brix, and definitely is the reason why this chapter is so long. Again, if you guys would see my forum and community, that would not only help me, but your part on being an important piece to Madness Combat Fanfictions! Join the Revolution, and show the world that Madness Combat CAN become a topic on this site!

Chapter 31 will most likely be out very soon, so keep your eyes peeled! I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Final Salvation, and there's more to come! Please, keep up your support and reviews also keep the juices flowing too!

~Spirit9871


	31. Betrayal of the Mind

Chapter 31: Betrayal of the Mind

* * *

Cathy sniffed one last time, trying to calm herself down after her last meeting with Hank. She knew he was right. He was right all along. Cathy had broken probably the only bond of trust and compassion Hank had ever shown to a person. He gave her his life, but she had only played with it at the palm of her hand.

And yet, who could blame her?

Dan had double-crossed his own little sister just for his self-gain. She actually believed that if Dan would come back, then the family she had loved so much in the past would come back too. But just like Dan said, life's not all about fairytales and happy-endings.

With a tear-stained face full of grief, Cathy opened up her cell-phone. She began going through picture after picture of the times she had spent with Hank. Cathy began to cry again when she saw that same old video in her archives from before.

That video of Hank with her at the club.

She played the video with a shaking finger.

* * *

_"Heyy babe! You liked them moves I pulled out?" _

_ "Yeah Hank, that was awesome!"_

_ "Glad you luved it girl!" _

_ "Come on Hank, we gotta wait here for Sanford and Deimos." _

_ "Okay! Luvv yuu Casey!" _

_ "Cathy." _

* * *

She made a small grin remembering that night. It was probably the most fun she had after Dan had left her and her mother.

But now, she wouldn't see days like those anymore.

Cathy continued to surf through her phone. The carnival, the restaurant, the bar; everything was in here. This was the only record of Hank she had in her possession. Although he seemed annoyed in every picture with her smiling at the camera, she knew that Hank was fine with it too.

Cathy finally stopped when she saw a message she forgot about a long time ago stored in her phone. She was surprised because she had never even seen it before. Had it missed her reach as she blocked Hank to protect him?

Not being able to handle the suspense, she pressed the small green button on her pink phone to open up what mysteries laid before her. After the phone was done processing the message, it opened up. Cathy began reading.

* * *

_"Cathy, I don't know if you're reading this, but I hope you're okay. I know things are shitty around Nevada, but I promise things will get better. And you know Hank J. Wimbleton always keeps his promises._

_ I'm sorry that I can't treat you the way you are treating me. Like I said before, I don't honestly know what love is and how it feels like. I'm still letting it sink down into me, but just give me some time. One way or another, I'll get it._

_ I trust you more than anyone else on this goddamn planet Cathy, and I hope you can say the same about me. I might even trust you more than Sanford and Deimos. I don't know why, but that's just how the way things turned out._

_ Look, all I'm trying to say is this: please, just be patient with whatever I screw up on. For now, I'll have to slice and dice my way through these seas of bullshit to get to where I want. Where we both want. _

_ I'm right in front of your house. Please, just show me that you're alive so I don't have to finish this crappy letter._

_ ~Hank_"

* * *

Cathy saw a tear fall onto the screen of her phone. She dropped her cell on the hard floor and covered her face with both hands to hide her shame. Hank must've sent this as he was driving to her house.

Before he knew the truth.

"Hank! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry..." Cathy repeated over and over again, sobbing, as if Hank was right in front of her. Cathy knew about the mind-control chip Dan had placed into Hank's spine. She even knew that Dan was planning to use Hank's mind against him to kill Sanford and Deimos.

She clenched her fists.

No.

Things couldn't end like this.

She had to prove her brother wrong.

That there are such things as happy endings in life.

Wiping off the tears on her face, Cathy recomposed herself with a confident and serious expression etched on her face.

She knew exactly what to do.

Cathy placed her phone into her pocket and began running.

* * *

"Goodbye?" Deimos confusedly repeated from Hank. "What the heck are you talking about Hank? And what are you-"

Before Deimos was able to finish his sentence, Hank lashed out his sword at his chest. Deimos's eyes widened as he felt the blade cut through his skin.

"AHHHH!"

Deimos fell backwards as Sanford watched Hank with even more disbelief.

"HANK! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'R-"

Hank raised his right fist up and smacked it into Sanford's face. Sanford flew a few feet back, losing his balance from the unsuspecting attack.

Ignoring the fact that he was killing off his friends, Hank turned his head to Deimos. He rose the blade up to stab him. Deimos was breathing heavily, clutching his chest. He saw what Hank was about to do and rolled over to the side as the blade cut through the concrete floor.

Deimos jumped back up to defend himself instead of attacking his friend. But the mind-controlling chip had conquered Hank's actions completely.

Hank yanked out the sword from the ground and walked towards Deimos, who had his fists raised. Deimos was clearly shaking from fear and grief, but knew that whatever spell Hank was under was the reason why he was trying to kill him and Sanford.

Deimos threw a punch towards Hank's head. But Hank merely caught it with an open palm and began squeezing it tightly. Deimos felt the bones in his hand on the verge of breaking, and fell to his knees in agony and pain.

"STOP FUCKING WITH US YOU IDIOT!" Sanford hollered as he rammed Hank away from Deimos. Deimos began blowing on his hand to calm himself down as Sanford pulled out his hook.

Sanford chucked the hook towards Hank, aiming for his leg instead of a vital organ. Unfortunately, Hank grabbed onto the rope of the hook and jerked Sanford towards him. He stuck out his sword to make it slice through Sanford's stomach. Sanford had no choice but to shift his body to the right and take a deep cut into his side.

He gasped from the amount of blood rushing through his cut. Hank had nearly killed him if he hadn't moved away from certain death. Hank threw another punch at the bruise already forming on Sanford's face to knock him away. When Sanford and him were separated, he cut off the rope connecting the hook and Sanford's body.

Sanford looked at his useless weapon, shaking with gritted teeth on the ground. Hank tried to finish Sanford off this time, but he felt a large stone make contact with his skull.

Hank stumbled back, but turned his head slowly towards Deimos. Sanford knew that Deimos had tried to save him, but it was obvious that it was no use. He knew from how Hank began muttering Dan's name before he had turned against them that Dan was behind all this.

Sanford sat up, watching Hank walk slowly towards Deimos, who was taking steps back.

"Deimos! You have to get out of here! Hank's going to kill the both of us if we keep fighting! Dan's doing this to him! You have to stop him before Hank becomes his pawn!" Sanford yelled.

Deimos made a small gulp and put on a smirk to hide his fear.

"There's no way I'm leaving you behind Sanford! I don't care if Hank rips off my head, but I ain't abandoning you! Ever! And I'm going to bring Hank back!" Deimos responded.

Sanford shook his head. "Deimos, please-"

"Hank! Listen to us! Don't you realize what you're doing!? You're killing the both of us! I thought we were friends man! Brothers to the end! Where the hell did that Hank go!" Deimos reasoned.

"Deimos..." Sanford muttered in sorrow from seeing his partner beg.

Hank continued to trek towards Deimos, still seemingly unfazed.

"Please Hank! I don't want to hurt you! You're my hero man! So why won't you wake up!?" Deimos said, tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

Hank gripped the hilt of his sword tighter.

"Don't Hank...please...stop yourself before you do something you'll regret...Dan's using you! Don't listen to him! Fight it Hank! You're stronger than him! Just fight it!"

Tears went down Deimos's face now. Hank seemed to stop from seeing this.

Deimos looked back up, hopeful that his words had broken Dan's curse. Sanford stared at Hank, believing that Deimos had done it.

"Hank?"

Hank stood in front of Deimos with a menacing stature. They were only inches apart.

He rose up his sword and went down with a slash. Deimos gaped, making choking noises. He looked down. Hank had sliced him deeply from his shoulder all the way down to his waist.

Blood shot out of Deimos like a jet of water. It stopped abruptly as Deimos stumbled back, hitting the wall behind him.

Deimos fell onto his left side, blood still racing onto the floor. His hat had fallen off his head and drifted slowly around the red puddle.

The techie began to feel his vision blur. He turned onto his back, seeing the last parts of the blue sky turn red. Deimos reached out hopelessly into that endless horizon with his left hand, as if he was pleading for some divine force to keep him alive.

His arm fell back with a thud.

Sanford watched in complete horror at what had just happened. When he finally processed reality, his disbelieving stare had turned into a piercing glare towards Hank.

"Deimos! NO!" Sanford screamed.

He stood up, not caring the least on how much his whole body hurt. He couldn't lose Deimos again. The Higher Powers won't bring him back this time.

The veteran ran towards Hank, who had turned around to the sound of footsteps. Tears also ran down his cheeks as well from watching Deimos losing his life.

"DAN, YOU BASTARD!"

Sanford threw a sloppy, yet gruesomely powerful swing at Hank. Hank moved to his side and jabbed his fist into Sanford's stomach.

His abdomen blasted in searing pain. Sanford felt the strength slowly leave his body as the blow Hank had left him with was devastating.

Sanford saw the face of his partner one last time, staring back at him. Deimos was still alive, but barely. Then, he looked up at Hank.

"I'm sorry Hank..."

Hank moved back, letting Sanford's body fall forward. Deimos wheezed, both eyes on Sanford. He closed his eyelids tightly, and opened them back up. The pain was awful, but not physically.

Emotionally.

Deimos sighed in hopelessness. It was over.

His one and only idol killed him and his best friend.

Hank raised his stained sword up. A droplet of Deimos's blood fell onto Sanford's cheek.

"Nooooooooooooooooo!"

Hank stopped, annoyed that there was still something else in his way. He saw a young woman running quickly from the distance towards him, but instead of attacking, she raised her arms up to shield Sanford and Deimos.

This woman was no other than Cathy.

Hank clutched his head in pain. The memories of his dream were flooding back now.

"Hank! Please stop! Don't you remember me?!" she yelled.

Hank felt himself stumble back with a massive headache. He roared in anger from his mind trying to take back control of his body.

_"What are you doing you fool? FINISH HER. SHE'S IN YOUR WAY!"_ Dan ordered.

Hank shuddered and shook off his old consciousness. He raised up his sword, knowing that this was the end.

_**No matter what would happen, this was destiny.**_

_** This was what was meant to be.**_

_** THIS WAS-**_

Cathy had ripped off Hank's mask and kissed him in the lips deeply, as her last desperate attempt to bring Hank back to his senses.

As she did so, Hank felt his hold on his sword loosen, and the blade fall behind him.

Hank pulled away suddenly, clutching his head even more tightly. He felt as if his skull was splitting into two parts.

_"NO. DESTROY THEM. I COMMAND YOU!"_

Hank fell onto his knees and arms. Cathy ran next to him, realizing that she had stopped the mind-controller.

"PULL IT OUT! PULL IT OUT!" Hank demanded.

Hank gasped, feeling his consciousness fighting against Dan again.

"PULL THE FUCKING CHIP OUT OF MY BACK! GET THAT PIECE OF SHIT OUT!"

Sanford pushed himself up, coughing blood from the last hit Hank had left him with. He saw the small, circular tip of the chip stuck inside of Hank's spine stick out of his clothes. Sanford grabbed onto it with both hands.

"Hold still Hank! This will only take a sec!" Sanford shouted, with Deimos and Cathy staring.

Hank's screams were blood-curdling. Sanford and Deimos had never heard him yell like that before, but it was torture to their ears. As Sanford pulled harder, the chip proved to be a large, metal rod lodged into Hank's back. The rod was blood stained and sharp, signaling that it had dug itself deep into Hank's spine.

With one last yank, Sanford fell back, holding the long metallic object in its hands. It was wiggling in his grasp like a live insect.

Sanford put his other hand on the other end of the rod and pulled from the opposite sides. He stretched out the wire to the point that it stopped moving and ripped into two pieces. Sanford let it out of his hands and watched it fall to the ground with a plop.

Hank fell forward, breathing hard. A small circular hole formed on the top of his backbone from where Sanford had pulled out the damned contraption.

Cathy sat Hank up.

"Are you okay!?" she asked.

Hank looked at her face, suddenly remembering where and who he was. He turned to Sanford and Deimos, who were tending their own wounds. Hank shoved Cathy away and quickly ran towards them.

"Oh shit. Don't tell me that I did this." he said to them grimly.

Deimos sat back up. He grinned. "Glad to have you back buddy."

He coughed up blood and fell onto his back again. Sanford came near his side.

"Goddamn it! Why didn't you just fucking listen to me man! You wouldn't be in this situation right now if you just listened!" Sanford yelled.

Deimos laughed. "Looks like I won't be going anywhere for a while. But if I did listen San, then you would be dead right now, wouldn't you? It's fine, really. Just give me some time. I'll take care of myself."

Sanford bit his lip. "You idiot. You still find a way to laugh even while you're dying. Fucking dumbass."

He looked back up to Sanford with an amused expression. "Were...were you crying for me when you thought I was dead? I'm touched Sanford."

Sanford realized that he still didn't wipe his face from before. He used the sleeve of his shirt to clean himself up.

"Don't get your hopes up you retard. These were just eye-tears after Hank beat the crap out of me, that's all. They're definitely not for you." Sanford muttered.

Deimos chuckled. "Sure they weren't Sanford."

Deimos turned to Hank, who was looking away for being guilty as hell. Hank saw everything happen before him. He just didn't know what he was doing. If only he was smarter and took the warnings more seriously.

If only...

"Hank..."

He slowly turned his head to Deimos, who now had a serious look on his face.

"You have to listen to me very carefully. First of all, I already know that this wasn't your fault. Dan did this to me. Not you. Don't feel down just because of this. That's what he wants you to feel. You have to stop him before he'll kill everyone. Can you promise me that?" Deimos explained.

Hank nodded.

Deimos stuck out his little finger. Hank stared at it, not knowing what Deimos was trying to tell him.

"Pinky-promise?" Deimos asked like a child.

Hank rolled his eyes. "Deimos, I'm not fucking ten, I'll-"

"Come on Hank. Just this one time. To make up for what happened." Deimos pleaded.

Hank sighed. "Fine. Just this once."

He stuck out his own finger and entwined it into Deimos's. They shook on it.

Deimos smiled. "Make sure you give him an extra kick in the ass for me, 'kay..."

Sanford pulled up Deimos as he went limp into unconsciousness. He turned to Cathy.

"...Thank you..."

Cathy shook her head. "No, I don't deserve to be thanked. After what I just did. This was the least I could do for you guys."

She turned to Hank, who was trying to ignore her. He was upset, but Hank was more hurt than angry inside.

Sanford glanced at the two of them.

"Hank, I know that Cathy may have turned her back at us, but she _did_ save me and Deimos's lives. I think we're the ones that owe her a debt of gratitude."

Hank said nothing as he stood up. Cathy knew that he was stressed out from everything happening so fast around him. But there was one last thing she had to do for him.

She had to help him defeat her older brother.

"I...I know where Dan is right now..."

The two of them turned to Cathy in interest.

Cathy made a gulp and continued. "Dan's in an old building not far from here. He's planning to move his last and main weapon away from here to a different state so the A.A.H.W. could expand themselves there. I overheard one guard saying that to his partner while they held me captive."

Hank's hands were shaking violently. Now, more than ever, he wanted to demolish Dan for what he did to him and his partners.

Dan was the one who's debt, not them.

Hank finally broke his isolation with Cathy. "What weapon? And where?"

Cathy shook her head. "Dan...he's threatening the President with something awful and horrid. Something even worse than Tricky..."

Sanford and Hank listened to her, a bit uneasy themselves. What could be worse than Tricky The Clown?

_"...Dan's shipping away-"_

* * *

Dan walked slowly into a large room where packages would be shipped in and out through the garage doors. He grinned as he saw a large black truck parked nearby.

It was ready.

Dan turned towards the two Advanced ATP agents and cocked his head to the back. They ran off, knowing Dan was telling them to guard the front.

Dan traced his hand down the back door. What was inside this truck has the power to annihilate Nevada and Utah. He laughed, knowing that there was no stopping him now.

Twenty minutes.

Twenty minutes and he would become the most powerful man that ever lived.

He stopped laughing as he knew that Hank was coming after him. Cathy should've told him where he currently was, knowing that she was a big tattle-tale. Cathy, however, did not realize that by leading Hank to Dan's location, she would be planting him into a trap.

Dan saw the small machine he used to control Hank in his hand, explode. It wouldn't matter now. This was the jewel of his assault. **The one thing that promises him ultimate power.**

He opened up the truck to see his special surprise. Dan grinned as everything was set.

"Like I said before. I'm going to blow everyone to hell." Dan told himself.

Dan didn't have something genetic or physical under his control this time.

This was his final attack.

Dan was shipping...

* * *

_"-an Improbability-Bomb..."_

* * *

A/N: 3,321 words, and finish! Alright! That ends Chapter 31! Phew! Did you guys think that I couldn't continue that last cliff-hanger?

Anyways, I'm actually able to type this today because I have no school today and tomorrow. Why is obvious: Hurricane Sandy (yes, I live in Brooklyn, New York). It's getting real bad right now, and you can't believe the amount of wind that's screwing us all over right now. Luckily, I don't have to worry about the streets flooding around us or the wind actually breaking the glass or some shit like that because I'm literally one block away from the lowest danger zone (Zone 3). Yeah, the lights do tend to flicker around the house randomly, but we still haven't had a blackout yet (since I clearly typed this chapter up and sent it to Fanfiction .net). As I speak, the lights have flickered again. And again. And...wow...it's actually getting even worse now. I don't know how much time I have left, so let's speed this up.

Reviewer's Credit:

* * *

Nikolai247: I'm glad you enjoyed Chapter 30! I definitely put a lot of humor there, so it's nice to know that somebody's liking it! I also hope you're almost done with your next chapter of "Nikolai's Legacy: A Madness Combat Fanfiction"! (You guys can see it under my favorite stories archive)

I hope you enjoyed this part as well!

* * *

Sackrum: I see what you're saying there. I can totally fix the references to animations. That was a stupid move on my part, and I'll avoid it next time. However, I don't think I can fix the first word of every single paragraph! I'm writing 3,000 to 4,000 chapters, so it's really, REALLY, hard to not tend to repeat stuff. Plus, I don't think I can really replace the pronouns. As you can see, I'm describing more of combat-action instead of settings (unlike most stories), so I really have no idea how to change things.

Fire-arm research is also something I want to do, but I don't have time for. We all have school, so wasting an hour or two on researching instead of writing will delay my update-rate. And nobody would like that, regardless of how well the story turns out. I've asked for your help on fire-arms in my next fic, so I hope you can do that for me. After all, we do live RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER.

* * *

Credits over. By the way, there is another fan-fiction that a new friend of mine (who has helped this Revolution greatly), named DodgeStreaker wrote with her friend, Syo. It's called "MADNESS COMBAT-HORRORS" and you can see that also in my favorite stories archive. As I said before, you would help me out even more by not only checking out my stories, but also the stories of Nikolai247 and DodgeStreaker (which are all Madness Combat fics!)

Also, if you do like Halo and Fallout, check out Sackrum's profile under my favorite authors list. He has an INCREDIBLE knowledge of guns as well as describing scenarios and fights. Trust me, you'll love the things I recommend to you guys!

Well, enough shameless advertising (XD). Final Salvation is coming to an end (don't worry, there are still a few chapters left!), and I will do my best to upload Chapter 32 A.S.A.P. In return, if you want faster upload dates, then help my friends out too, and all the other guys trying to write Madness Combat fics! I always care about stats, and knowing that you guys are awesome and loyal, I think I can trust that responsibility to all of you.

Be sure to check out my forum and community called "The Madness Combat Fanfiction Revolution" as well for moar Madness Combat. You can find the link at the beginning of my profile too, so join the revolution and make Krinkels proud!

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter of Final Salvation, and Chapter 32 will be up and running soon! We've hit 1,400 views with 100,000 words, so keep it up bros!

~Spirit9871

P.S., I am still accepting OC's for my next Madness Combat fic. If you feel like submitting something to me, PM me about it. I always respond as soon as I get to my computer, so I'm listening. If not, well, it's cool anyways. Just keep reading, and I'll keep writing!


	32. The Apocalypse Of Change

Chapter 32: The Apocalypse of Change

* * *

Hank stared at Cathy, befuddled at what she had just told him and Sanford.

"An Improbability-Bomb? What the hell is that?" he asked her.

Cathy shook her head. "Do you remember the time when normality was being restored? And the lasers from the sky were shooting down?"

The two men nodded.

"...Well, imagine that energy, _exploding in a given radius_. If Dan sets off that bomb, not only will it destroy Nevada and its neighbor Utah, but it'll create an environmental meltdown. Just like an atomic bomb, only a hundred times worse." Cathy explained.

Sanford was taken back. Had the A.A.H.W. actually advanced so far technologically under their noses? And, not to mention, in just 3 years?

"How the fuck did they manage to make something like this?" Sanford questioned.

Cathy closed her eyes, trying to go through her memories. She opened them when she remembered.

"The bomb is connected wirelessly to the Improbability Drive's energy. As long as the Drive is running, then the bomb is ticking."

Hank turned to Sanford who was shaking his head.

"There has to be another way to stop this thing! We tried to destroy the Drive Dan set underground, but we were too late. Not even Deimos was able to hack in and disengage it." Sanford replied hopelessly. He looked down at Deimos, who was sleeping peacefully, not realizing the impending doom threatening Nevada.

Cathy bit her lip. "There is another way to stop it though. If you can drive the bomb away far enough from the Drive's power, then it'll be as useless as a large ball of metal. That's why you need to know where Dan is right now. He's probably with a bunch of engineers setting up the explosive every second we wait."

Sanford and Cathy turned to Hank, who stood up. He turned to the two of them.

"I'll go. Just tell me where Dan is and I'll screw him over this time. No exceptions." Hank said.

Sanford shot his head up towards his comrade. "I'll go with you then! For Deimos!"

"No!" Hank sternly ordered. "This is my matter Sanford, not yours. You have to stay here and take care of Deimos and Cathy. Deimos is bleeding badly, and if you don't fix him up soon, then we'll lose him."

Sanford frowned at the fact that Hank was right. Revenge was his number one option, but he had to take care of his partner first.

"Fine..." he muttered.

Hank turned to Cathy. "Tell me where your brother is."

Cathy slowly nodded.

* * *

Hank began running. He had no more time to stall. Cathy had told him that Dan was in a large facility a few miles from where they were.

The wind battered at his face even harder as he picked up his pace. Eventually, without realization, he was already there.

Trucks were lined up outside the building. It looked like Dan was planning to focus his entire defense on this one location. The doors behind each truck were left ajar, meaning that the agents inside had already left. Hank looked around the truck and saw the base. He grimaced when he realized there were more than a dozen men outside on high alert.

Hank pulled out is katana and felt the sides of the blade with his fingers. Nice, sharp, and brand-new. The only imperfection was the fact that it was stained with Deimos's blood. He grinned, knowing that by the time he had killed everyone up front, there would be more blood on the floor than in Deimos's entire body.

Hank heard a 1337 agent walk towards the back of the truck. He had pulled out a cigarette and was busy lighting it with a cheap lighter. As soon as he came right next to Hank, Hank lashed his sword out and chopped the top part of his head off. The 1337 fell back, blood racing out from his opened skull.

A few A.A.H.W. agents guarding the door from the distance saw what had happened, yelling that there was an intruder infiltrating them. When the whole front realized that their ally had been killed, they dispersed in different directions around the truck.

'Oh fuck...' Hank thought to himself. He took a quick glance at the agents cautiously approaching him from the right and from the left. Three ATP engineers were flanking him both sides with guns raised.

Hank picked up the Colt Revolver from the 1337's corpse. Using previous knowledge, he remembered that most Colts usually hold six bullets.

Six bullets.

Six targets.

Hank made a quick turn to his right, flipped out the pistol, and fired at one agent with a rifle while the others with smaller fire-arms flinched. It was an old tactic they had taught in the Anti-A.A.H.W., as well as common logic: always shoot the guys with the big guns first if you're making a surprise attack. That way, even if you do get shot by the smaller ones, it won't be as bad as having your head blown off by a shotgun.

The two ATP agents nearby regained their composure and aimed at Hank. Hank shot the second agent at the right while deflecting a bullet with his katana with the other hand. The agent kept firing, thinking that Hank would lose his focus and take a shot, but instead, he sealed his own doom by letting Hank ricochet a bullet right back at him.

Hank fired at two more 1337s from far, taking them out almost instantaneously. He heard footsteps from two different directions grow faster as the second trio of ATP agents were making the turn around the truck to attack Hank from behind.

Hank realized that they had split up again around the truck to corner him once more. He closed his eyes, listening to the sound of feet hitting ground more carefully.

Two from the front and one from the back.

Hank jabbed his sword back as soon at the single ATP agent from behind made the turn. He felt yellow blood splatter on his clothes when he yanked the katana out of the lifeless body. Hank then fired the last two bullets at the other ATP agents ambushing him from the front. Each bullet found its way to its designated head, displaying a beautiful show of blood and brains.

But the show wasn't over as Hank saw the other agents guarding the entrance started firing at him. Hank dropped the empty pistol and picked up an MP5.

He planned his assault and locked on to each man trying to eliminate him.

_GO_.

Hank flipped to the side and fired bullets to the right. Three agents fell back as the small pieces of metal punctured their bodies.

Hank fell to the ground to avoid more bullets flying in the air at him. Killing two more agents from down below, he lifted himself up with both hands and flipped back. As he rotated in the air, he killed a 1337 agent, not suspecting his sudden move.

The remaining five agents (three ATP engineers and two 1337s), turned to each other, not sure on whether to run or keep fighting. They finally realized that in the end, either Hank or Dan would kill them, so they continued attacking. During this moment of hesitation, Hank picked up a P90 nearby him, holding dual SMGs.

Hank looked up menacingly at the agents who were missing their stationary target in fear. They felt his glare pierce through them, knowing that Hank J. Wimbleton was like Death himself.

**Unsuspecting. But powerful and feared upon.**

Hank stood up and raised his guns. One 1337 agent had ran back into the base. Although the others saw him as a coward, it wouldn't matter after Hank was finished.

Hank fired, dodging left and right from the shots missing him by mere centimeters. He had killed them all off in a matter of seconds. Hank dropped the weapons to the floor simultaneously. He was unstoppable.

And Dan is _**NOT**_ an exception.

He pulled out his katana once more and picked up a TAC-50. Somebody had to die for him to get his way.

* * *

Hank ran in, but saw three Advanced 1337s taking cover in every corner possible. It seemed as though they had moved all the boxes in the room from one side to the other, and left Hank completely open. Dan was right: the IQ of these agents have increased drastically after their upgrade.

Hank began firing as soon as he saw one agent pop his head up. He saw red blood, meaning that he was successful in his attack. Unfortunately, the other two agents weren't as generous. One nodded to the other holding a Machete. Hank slung his rifle onto his back and held his katana with his right hand, knowing that the agent was calling for a sword fight.

The 1337 agent came in first, swinging twice at Hank, only to be blocked. Hank pushed him away and retaliated, but was blocked as well. Then, Hank lifted his sword back to stab him in the stomach, but the 1337 jumped into the air, trying to slice the top of Hank's head off. In response, Hank had ducked and slashed across the agent's side. The sword made a nice sound of cutting flesh when it split the 1337 in half.

The last Advanced 1337 taking cover started firing at Hank. Hank deflected one bullet with his katana and threw it at his foe. He pulled out his TAC-50 as soon as the agent had jumped to the side to dodge the flying weapon and fired before he was able to turn his head back around.

Hank ran towards the end of the room and pulled out the katana stuck in the wall. He kept that for later and held his rifle with both hands for faster mobility.

Two more Advanced ATP agents blocked his way. Hank fired at them, but both agents dodged the bullets with ease. They were far stronger than the previous ATP agents he fought before, meaning that Hank was facing the best men Dan had left in his arsenal.

Hank jumped up as a spray of bullets from a Sawed-Off aimed for his middle-section. He held onto the pipes hanging from the ceiling and yanked one pipe off to release the steam traveling through. The room filled with smoke as the ATP agents struggled to find Hank. They began firing wildly from where they heard footsteps, but Hank was better at the tactic. He easily assassinated the two confused men with his sword and moved on to the next room.

More 1337s and ATP agents, but to Hank's relief, they were all the normal versions he used to fight a long time ago. That is, except the one Advanced ATP agent on the platform up above, aiming a sniper rifle at Hank's skull.

Hank took cover behind a crate and saw the agents charge at him. He fired at all of the men running over the crate, eliminating all the ground agents and engineers. Hank was forced to go back down in cover when he realized that the sniper up above would get him. He saw a knife in the possession of a corpse nearby him, which gave him an idea.

He rolled to the side, hearing the sniper rifle go off and the bullet missing him. Hank picked up the Bowie knife and threw it towards the ATP agent trying to eliminate him. He smirked as he saw the knife get stuck in the sucker's throat.

Direct hit.

Hank saw the agent grasp his neck in agony, and fell off the side of the platform. The body made a sickening thud as it hit the ground down below, ending the painful choking noise the agent made.

Hank dropped his rifle and continued running with his katana up. All you had to do was give the guy a sword, and he'd wipe out a building full of men in a matter of minutes.

He stopped, reading the sign that hung over the door. It read "Shipping Ports". Cathy said that Dan was shipping away a bomb here. That meant this door was the only thing in his way from revenge.

And this time, Hank would be sure to get it, no matter what the cost.

Hank gripped the hilt his sword even more tightly. He was finally here. After hours of struggling, he would finally end all the torturing.

* * *

Hank went in, seeing Dan from the distance, staring at the back of the truck. Dan had already acknowledged his presence when the alert of an intruder went off. Five ATP engineers stormed at Hank with melee weapons of their own.

Hank shifted to the side as one agent swung his mallet down at him. He stabbed the side of his head and blocked the second agent with a Billy Club come right at him. Hank jabbed his sword into his ribs, dooming the agent with a slow and painful death.

The third agent threw his Carbon Knife dangerously close at Hank. Hank also dodged to the side, sticking his sword into the engineer that was foolish enough of getting so close to him.

The fourth and fifth came in simultaneously. They thought that Hank wouldn't be able to handle two enemies at once, but they were wrong. Hank slid past them like a baseball player reaching a base just before he was too late, and swung his sword back at the fourth engineer.

Hearing a satisfying yelp, Hank pulled his sword out coolly and turned to face the last man of the group. He had dropped his weapon and raised his hands in surrender, but Hank wasn't willing to take chances. Hank stabbed the middle of the engineer's chest, puncturing his heart, and ending the bloodshed with a sword dripping with yellow blood.

Hank swung his sword in the air to take out the blood staining the blade. He turned to Dan, who still didn't turn around to meet his eyes. Was he playing that same game of hiding his face from Hank again?

Dan suddenly did something that surprised Hank. He fell forward, stretching his arms out to balance himself on the truck. Dan looked as if he was dying, but Hank was smart enough to know that things weren't always the way they seemed.

He threw up a glop of black liquids. Hank stared at him emotionlessly, not feeling an atom of remorse for the man who had nearly killed Sanford and Deimos.

Finally, Dan spoke.

_"I...have to congratulate you for your previous victories, Hank J. Wimbleton. They are...unarguably...incredible to accomplish in one day. It seems as though I have underestimated you for way too long... however...rest assured, I will not give you the chance to escape this time..."_

Dan threw up again. He held his stomach in pain.

**"Cathy...that bitch screwed up my plans...she had released my hold on your mind...fascinating though...how love could actually break technology...seems as though we all learn something new everyday...don't we...Hank?"**

Dan regurgitated more fluids from his mouth. But this time he was chuckling.

"_**The extent of my power has reached a level beyond human comprehension. Some say that I'm killing myself. That I shouldn't have tempered with nature. I just think it's lovely."**_

Hank continued to remain silent as Dan's chuckling turned into maniacal laughter.

_**"I'VE GONE FUCKING INSANE! AND I LOVE IT, EVERY LITTLE BIT OF MY NEW FORM! THE INTENSITY! THE STRENGTH! I'VE BECOME FAR POWERFUL THAN THAT FOOL THE AUDITOR HAD EVER BEEN! DO YOU KNOW WHY I AM SO STRONG HANK? DO YOU KNOW WHY I WAS CHOSEN AS A LEADER? BECAUSE I WAS AN OBSV AGENT! I WAS THE LAST ONE OUT OF ALL OF THEM! YOU'RE PATHETIC PUPPETS, SANFORD AND DEIMOS HAD KILLED THEM ALL IN THAT FACILITY!"**_

Now that had surprised Hank. But he didn't show it.

_**"YES! THE AUDITOR WAS A FOOL FOR ABANDONING THE PROJECT! I REMEMBER THAT NIGHT! I WAS READY TO SEE YOU HANK. I WAS THE HIGHEST RANKING AGENT THE A.A.H.W. HAD IN ITS POSSESSION! BUT THEN, THEY CAME. I WAS HOLDING TWO KNIVES AND THREW ONE TOWARDS SANFORD! BUT HE HAD THROWN HIS HOOK INTO MY HIP, AND KNOCKED ME INTO UNCONSCIOUSNESS, THINKING I WAS DEAD! BUT HE WAS WRONG. JUST BEFORE I LET THE DARKNESS CONSUME ME, I HEARD MY COMRADES DIE IN THE NEXT ROOM. ALL OF THEM. THERE WAS NO REMORSE. NO REGRETS. NOTHING."**_

Dan sighed, holding in his rage for later.

"Since that day...I've trained every single moment to become stronger than the man who had killed my father and my friends. You ruined me. And now, I will ruin you. When The Auditor had died, Project Underground Circus had continued to flourish under Nevada, leaving your leaders, The Higher Powers, to think that we were all eliminated. That we were all dead. I've broken my own bones on purpose, ripped myself apart muscle by muscle, to grow stronger. I always needed more. And I always knew that more would never come to me through mere means of human training. I had to receive the capabilities that mortals were never meant to be granted. And The Auditor was my answer."

Hank shook his head, knowing it was all wrong. He decided to make a reply.

"Dan, I'm sorry for everything I did. For everything we did. And I speak upon the Anti-A.A.H.W.'s actions as well. We had no choice. The Auditor was going to break this planet apart if we didn't do what we did. Really, I-"

"NO!" Dan interrupted. "Don't you DARE give me that 'sorry' bullshit! Sorry doesn't bring the dead back. NOTHING WILL. My father is dead. And he will always be dead. When Sanford and Deimos had defeated me in combat, that's when I knew that I wasn't strong enough. That I could not destroy Hank J. Wimbleton if I couldn't even defeat those below him. But now, I do have the power. And I don't care who lives and who dies. This is the destiny that mankind must face: The Apocalypse of Change."

Hank clenched his fists. Dan still doesn't get it?

"How the hell do you manage to change EVERYONE on this Earth Dan!? Use your head! Nobody can do that! Even the greatest armies in history couldn't do it! So what the fuck makes you think you can! Even if you do miraculously take over America, what about the foreign countries? Like Russia and China? How are you going to defeat them!?" Hank yelled in contradiction.

Dan laughed again. God, that laugh pissed Hank off.

"That is a very good question. But you know what? I will give you the answer to it, since there's no way you'll be leaving here with your head. Very simple: Atomic Warfare. Just a push of a button and _beep_, there goes Europe. Push another one. _Boop_, there goes Asia."

Hank took a step back, appalled that even the lowest of scum like Dan would _even_ _suggest_ such a tactic.

"You're fucking out of your mind. Do you have any idea how many people will die? And not just the men. But the women and the children too! What the hell are you thinking? Are you going to BLAST this planet into oblivion!?"

Dan finally turned around and showed Hank that same face: the one where half of it was sagging off and the other half resembled The Auditor's exactly.

"If that's what it takes, then sure. Why not?"

Hank was infuriated at how calmly Dan took it. The guy has no idea what it would mean to create such a massacre. He was going to set the Earth into an environmental meltdown.

Hank pulled out his katana. "I'm not going to let you do this."

Dan grinned.

"Then feast your eyes Hank, at the creation of my final form."

Dan ripped off the last part of his head, making sure Hank was watching every single horrific moment. He released his grip on his skin and let it drop to the floor like slime.

Dan looked up at Hank, who narrowed his eyes in disgust and shock. The Auditor didn't become a part of Dan.

Dan had _**become**_ The Auditor.

Dan looked at his hands. A black flame had emerged from his body, and it began glowing red. Hank also noticed that Dan's eyes had flashed red again, but this time, instead of vanishing, Dan's eyes had completely engulfed itself in the color. This was his final form.

The Auditor had returned in the mind of Dan.

Dan shook his hand outwards, and to his surprise, he saw Jebus's Binary Sword come out into his hand. The only difference was that the blade was black and the hilt was red. He looked up at Hank.

Hank bent his knees to take a defensive stance. Whatever Dan was planning, it was definitely going to hurt.

He stared at Dan who seemed to be just standing there. Hank blinked.

Dan was gone.

Hank's lost his composure when he realized what had happened. Then, his eyes widened when he heard Dan hiss right behind his back.

_**"You're going to DIE.**_"

Hank turned around as fast as he could and blocked Dan's swing. Red sparks hit the floor as Hank cringed at the power Dan put into the attack. Hank felt as if his wrists were going to rip apart if he stayed the way he was.

Hank jumped back to make space for himself. Just as his feet touched the ground, Hank felt a fist make contact with his stomach.

Hank gasped, spit coming out of his mouth. As he went down, Dan hit his right ear with a back-fist.

Dan watched as Hank flew to the side, rolling on the hard concrete floor. Hank heard a ringing sound from where Dan had hit him. He suddenly felt blood racing down the side of his head.

Hank had gone def in the right ear.

With the annoying sound of ringing, Hank stepped back, still having the sword tightly in both hands. He had to think of something or else he really would be dead.

Dan walked slowly towards him. _**"What's the matter? Can't hear me from that side anymore? Hey, don't sweat it. You won't need that thing in HELL."**_

Hank felt himself gulp. He was sweating from fatigue and fear. Hank had gone through so much in one day that he had barely any strength left to fight Dan with.

Hank saw Dan running at him. He blocked another powerful swing that rattled his body, and ducked before having his head sliced off. Hank suddenly felt Dan's foot hit his diaphragm, taking out even more air from his body.

Hank didn't have time to catch his breath as he saw Dan swing down at him.

_'No!'_ Hank thought to himself as he raised his sword up to block.

But then, Hank saw the blade of his sword break from Dan's attack in complete disbelief.

Being left completely vulnerable, Dan continued to slice down, and cut Hank from the middle of his face all the way to his waist.

Blood shot out of Hank from the deep cut Dan had made. He collapsed back on the ground.

Hank was done for...and this time nobody would save him. Sanford and Cathy were too busy taking care of Deimos's wounds.

Dan saw Hank trying to crawl away to safety. Hank's goggles had split in half, revealing his eyes as they fell to the ground. The only thing left on Hank's head was his bandana.

He grinned. This was what he wanted. This was what he nearly killed himself for.

To see Hank J. Wimbleton die, knowing that there was nothing left in the world for him.

Dan rose up his sword, ready to stab Hank right through his head.

_"Goodnight Hank."_ he told him, just like in his dream.

Hank felt his vision go black, knowing that all Dan had to do was end it right then and there.

* * *

A/N: Alright, we are done with Chapter 32. As you can see, this story is still not over. There's no way things could go down like this. Hank had a crappy enough life, so why the fuck would I give him a crappy death? Besides, that wasn't epic enough to call an ending.

Anyways, I don't see the point of Reviewer's Credit if I have less than 2 to 3 reviews. But no matter, I will do it.

* * *

Sackrum: NO, DEIMOS DID NOT DIE. HE JUST WENT UNCONSCIOUS. Thank you for pointing that out though, because I can see where confusion can occur from what I wrote. Also, I will do my best to improve myself, I promise. But for now, I'm more focused on tying up the plot of this story.

* * *

That's all. I hope you guys still like this story, because I noticed that people have started pulling themselves away from the plot somewhere around Chapter 25. Reviews help tell me that people still enjoy Final Salvation, so those could help too!

By the way, I'm also off today because of Hurricane Sandy, so yeah. That's probably the ONLY thing a hurricane can give which benefits kids. Then again, I'm gonna have to meet with a shit-load of work when I get to school. Oh well...at least I'm not suffering through it alone!

DodgeStreaker had added a new chapter to her story yesterday on Madness Combat, so I ask if you guys are kind enough to check it out. It's under my favorite stories list, so you can go check it out if you want. Besides, there are barely any Madness Combat fics out there, so helping people who are trying does bring the MC spirit up! Plus, her story is getting good, so see if you guys can give her tips or comments on what she's writing. Trust me, you won't regret it.

Of course, special thanks go to all of you! So many views in so little time...it's so up-lifting! I'm seeing people visit my forum and community too! Great job guys! You're the best!

Chapter 33 will be up soon, so I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Final Salvation, and good night (or good morning...or whatever time you're reading this).

Later!

~Spirit9871


	33. The Weapon of Salvation

Chapter 33: The Weapon of Salvation

* * *

Deimos slowly opened his eyes up. He felt his vision blur again, but met faces with Sanford.

"Deimos?" Sanford asked, making sure his partner was okay.

Deimos shook his head, trying to put himself fully into consciousness. He made a small grin.

"Hey San."

Sanford grinned back. Cathy had helped him keep Deimos from bleeding to death, and Deimos seemed to be getting better. He was making a miraculous recovery because of his previous training from the Anti-A.A.H.W.

Deimos looked down at himself. He noticed that Sanford had taken off his shirt and covered his wound. The shirt had turned a shade of dark-red from the blood leaking out of it. He looked back up to Sanford and stuck out his hand. Sanford pulled him up into a sitting position.

Deimos sighed, pulling out a cigarette. He stuck it in his mouth and pulled out his lighter with the same hand. Deimos lit up the cigarette and puffed out smoke.

Sanford was glad to see Deimos do this. It meant he was regaining his strength.

Looking left and right, Deimos realized that Hank was missing from their group. He nodded in approval.

"So Hank went to go get Dan, didn't he?" he questioned.

"Yeah." Sanford replied.

Deimos bit his lip in frustration. "Damn it! I wish I could do something about it, but there's no way I'm getting anywhere in this state."

Cathy smiled. "You're wrong Deimos. There's still a way."

He looked at her, wondering what she meant by that sentence.

Sanford and Cathy spent the next few minutes explaining to Deimos about the Improbability-Bomb. When they were done, he quickly caught on to what they were trying to tell him.

"So let me get this straight: you think that I could go to the facility where Hank is right now and defuse the bomb that has the power to obliterate two states?" Deimos tried to confirm.

Cringing at how dark that last statement sounded, Sanford and Cathy nodded.

Deimos sighed. His job was never done...

"I don't know. I do specialize in computers, but not in explosives. I mean, yeah, I did do some work on the field back at the Anti-A.A.H.W. with Sanford, but not to the point where I'm a master at it." Deimos admitted.

"Well the bomb works sorta like a computer. It's functioning through a set of computers nearby to keep it stabilized." Cathy added.

Deimos smirked. "If that's true, then I'm definitely sure I can hack in and take out that bad-boy."

Sanford, Deimos, and Cathy felt their hopes returning to them. There was still a chance that they could save lives.

Sanford helped Deimos up. Deimos stumbled, losing his balance, but Sanford caught him again.

Deimos gritted his teeth. "Damn it! I'm still not strong enough to go on my own!"

Sanford slung Deimos's right arm over his shoulder and helped him walk. "Relax, I got you man."

Cathy saw the two of them standing. They were ready.

The trio began walking down the road. Deimos may have been slowing them down, but they needed him now more than ever.

'You better come back home Hank, in one piece, or I'll be pissed...' Deimos thought as he looked up into the red sky.

* * *

"..."

"...?..."

"...W-where am I?..."

Hank sat up. All around him was darkness. He didn't know how he got here and what was going on.

After speculating his surroundings and finding no answer to his problem, he stood up. All Hank remembered was Dan coming close to killing him.

Hank realized that his body had felt much stronger in this void he was trapped in. In fact, his body had completely healed itself from the scars and bruises it had sustained in the past few hours. His right ear wasn't ringing, and after testing his hearing out, he also learned that he wasn't def from that side anymore.

Hank shook his head. Was he dreaming? Or was he actually dead and this was the Hell foretold by God? Well, it didn't feel like Hell. And he certainly wasn't sleeping since everything around him was so solid and normal. That is, if there _actually was _anything around him.

Hank turned his head left and right. Finally, when he turned to his front, he saw a figure standing from far.

He narrowed his eyes to look further and when recognizing who was with him in this mysterious place, Hank took a defensive position. Hank grimaced.

"Not you again..." he muttered to himself.

Hank knew this man from a very long time ago. He had coexisted with him during the war and was once a foe in almost all of his missions.

He was the "Weapon of Armageddon".

He was the "Savior of Nevada".

He was:

Jebus H. Christ.

Hank took a step back when he saw Jebus raise up a hand. He didn't know whether it was for an attack, or for something else.

_"Relax. I'm not here to fight you." _Jebus said in a calm voice.

Well, that answers that question...

Hank frowned, knowing that Jebus had been one of his biggest rivals in the past. Jebus had even stopped him from completing his mission in killing the Sheriff (the man that ruled Nevada before The Auditor).

"And why the fuck should I trust you?" Hank demanded for a reason.

Jebus stared at him. _"In this time of need, who can and who can't you trust Hank? After all, you know that you can't defeat me with only your fists."_

"I could try." Hank growled.

Now Jebus was the one who was upset. _"I know that we've had some very bad ties in the past, but please Hank, set all that aside for now. Time is of the essence. You and I both know that Dan is only a few steps away from eliminating all of mankind."_

Although reluctant, Hank got out of his fighting pose and took a casual stance in its place.

Jebus nodded. _"Good. There is a reason why God had sent me to you in this state. In this void surrounding you, the time outside in reality has taken a pause. However, I cannot keep this up forever. God has plans, and he is giving me only this chance to communicate with you."_

Hank listened more carefully. He knew that if Jebus wanted to kill him, he would've already done so by now, especially since they're so close to each other.

_"Dan has suffered through a lot in his lifetime. Although we feel remorse because of his painful adolescence, we cannot allow him to commit such a crime against humanity. The time for the people on Earth to meet their Maker has still not come yet. That is still a long ways off." _Jebus continued to explain.

_"Hank, you are the only thing that can stop him. If you fall, then so do your people. Nobody will be able to stop this madman from accomplishing his goals. Your friends shall all die and The Higher Powers will cease to exist."_ Jebus finished.

Hank turned away from him. "No. You saw what he did to me back there. I was done for. I put all I could into stopping him, but I failed. _**Again**_. There's nothing left in my power for me to end."

Surprisingly, Jebus began chuckling. Hank looked back at his face.

_"That is quite shocking to hear from a man like you. I never thought you were the type of person to give up so easily. In fact, that wasn't the Hank J. Wimbleton I knew so long ago."_

Hank shook his head. "Well, you better believe it now."

Jebus stopped smiling and stared at him with a concerned and disappointed expression. _"Shame. Then I'm afraid Dan was right all this time."_

Hank quickly turned back. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

_"Hank, do you know why Dan was able to defeat you so easily? It's because he knows that you've grown softer in the past few years after you eliminated the A.A.H.W." _Jebus explained.

Hank was shocked that Jebus had said that. "You're fucking wrong. I didn't grow softer. I'm still the sa-"

_"No."_ Jebus interrupted. _"__**You have**__. Can't you see it? You've bonded with two people who idolized you in the past. You've fallen in love with a woman you saved from a raping Dan had staged and even trusted her enough to sleep with her. And, not to mention, you were crushed by the fact that she had turned against you for her brother, nearly letting you and your friends get killed by his hands."_

Hank opened his mouth, but shut it as soon as he couldn't overlap that point.

Jebus saw that he had the signal to continue._ "Hank, do not resign from this fight no matter what. This battle must end with one dead and the other the champion of humankind. I had made the mistake of joining the A.A.H.W., but now, after realizing the error of my ways, I will stop it. Dan had given himself The Auditor's powers, so I have only one thing left to do to ensure you will be the victor."_

Hank saw him stick out his hand.

_ "I will give you my power to cancel out with The Auditor's. Now, it will only depend on the skills of you and Dan to see who is stronger and who holds the key to the future."_

Hank hesitated on this offer. "Jebus...I'm not sure-"

Jebus shook his head. _"Please, call me Dr. Christoff. Jebus is merely my status, not my name."_

Hank nodded. "Christoff, I'm not sure if this will work. What if Dan has even more under his sleeves than we originally thought? What if we really do fail and our efforts would be worth nothing?"

Jebus smiled to comfort Hank. _"Don't think of failing. Think only of winning. I promise I will give you everything I have as you fight. After all, Jebus H. Christ does keep his promises."_

Hank made a small laugh at how Jebus used his words for his own purpose. He wiped off the grin from his face and turned back seriously at Jebus.

"Okay. Let's do this shit."

Jebus nods, and sticks out two hands from his robe. He puts one finger on Hank's head-

_"...Through the power of the mind..."_

Jebus puts the other finger on his other hand onto Hank's chest.

_"...And through the power of the soul..."_

Hank saw the two fingers glowing and felt familiar warmth wash through his body. He wanted to pull away from how odd the whole process seemed, but he knew Jebus was doing this for his sake.

_"...Shall the path to victory be made clear..."_

Jebus's eyes began to shine pure white. He stuck his head up from blinding Hank.

_**"...TO THE WARRIOR OF SALVATION!"**_

* * *

Dan rose up his sword, ready to stab Hank right through his head.

_"Goodnight Hank."_ he told him, just like in his dream.

Suddenly, Dan saw a flash of lighting hit Hank from the ceiling. It was a large ray that came from the sky just like how normality was being restored in Nevada three years ago.

Dan flew back, losing his balance from the unsuspecting outside force. He landed on his feet and covered his eyes from the light.

When the room had finally returned to its natural level of visibility. Dan's vision blurred. He saw something standing a few feet away from him.

'Pity.' he thought to himself. 'I thought I was the one to kill Hank. This is most inconvenient. Now I know how Tricky felt.'

Finally, Dan was able to see who was in front of him clearly. Was Hank dead?

No.

Hank was alive.

In fact, he was _more than alive._

"What the hell?" Dan asked himself, clearly confused at what was going on.

Hank was standing in front of him, wearing his full uniform, only in bright white, and his goggles had turned blue. A white glow illuminated his figure just like Dan's reddish glow.

Hank looked down at himself. All his wounds had vanished into thin air, and he was feeling better than ever. It was as if he was born into a newer, stronger, version of his own body.

Hank grinned. "Nice work Jebus..."

Dan took a step back at Hank's sudden transformation. He was enraged at the fact that he was flinching from the one thing he wanted to kill.

'Why am I backing away!? What the fuck's going on!?' Dan yelled out in his head.

Hank clenched his fists, feeling the white leather gloves on himself. He looked up at Dan. This time, Dan was the one to take a defensive stance from uncertainty.

Wanting to know the extent of Hank's strength, Dan fired two rays of black flames behind Hank towards two dead ATP agents. They had turned into Audit-ATP agents and saw their target. Hank slowly turned around towards them and raised his own hand. He fired rays of white lightning towards one engineer, making him vanish in thin air.

The other Audit-ATP agent, seeing his partner magically disappear, turned to Hank and raised the mallet on the floor to fight. Unfortunately for him, as he was running towards Hank, Hank had fired another beam of light at him, repeating the same vaporizing process.

Dan gaped at what Hank had become. He glared at Hank for turning into...whatever the hell he is now.

Finally, Dan couldn't take anymore of the guessing and testing, so he spoke:

"You...What in God's name are you!? YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DIE! I MADE SURE OF IT! YOU WERE AS WEAK AS A FISH OUT OF WATER WHEN I HAD DEFEATED YOU! SO TELL ME! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU!?"

Hank turned around towards Dan and calmly looked at him. He opened his mouth to respond:

_"I am the Weapon Of Salvation. The one thing that has the power to stop you." _ Hank merely stated. However, Hank's voice had seemingly mixed with Jebus's, creating a more ominous feeling in Dan's chest.

Dan didn't know how to reply to that, but merely watched Hank's every move. Hank shook out his hand, and to his shock, he saw another Binary Sword pop into his hand just like Dan's. The blade though, was pure white and so was the hilt, emanating with power. White feathers fell to the ground from where he summoned the weapon, but disappeared soon after like an illusion.

Hank raised up his blade along with Dan. Both sides were equally matched in power, and it will be a close fight.

Hank chuckled, which surprised Dan.

_"Did you really think that I was done for Dan? That I was just going to vanish off the face of the Earth so easily?"_

Dan gritted his teeth. He was sweating from anxiousness.

_"No. You're wrong. I made a promise to Deimos. A promise that I would bring an end to you and the horrible things you'll do._ _And like I say-"_

Hank swung his sword through the air.

_**"Hank J. Wimbleton does keep his promises."**_

"Well then," Dan countered. "Some promises just have to be broken!"

The two men leaped outwards at each other with their swords clashing. The two blades made an echoing boom, much like a large cannonball being shot out of a cannon. Red and white sparks fell to the floor, both sides putting all the force they had to crush the other.

The unholy fight for humanity has begun.

One will live.

_**AND ONE WILL DIE.**_

* * *

A/N: Awwwww yeah! Was that awesome or what? And Dodge, that outta answer your plea for Jebus to make an appearance!

I'm sorry I'm updating so late, but I decided, hey, let's finish this up with a bang! This chapter, I admit, was a bit shorter than the other few I wrote not so long ago, but only because I thought that it would be pretty cool to end it here, even with about 2,500 words. You might think it's long, but it is short under my standards.

Because I wrote this chapter on the same day I wrote the last, there are no reviewers to credit, so I just wanna say thanks to all of you! I gained 30 views today, so you guys are awesome! Please, continue to show your support, and check out my forum (which is the first link on my profile) and my community (the second link) for moar madness! A lot of you have already did, so keep it up!

LOL, all I'm doing now is just repeating stuff I said before over and over again. Chapter 34 will be on soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

Later bros and I hoped you liked this Chapter of Final Salvation!

~Spirit9871


	34. The Last Move

Chapter 34: The Last Move

* * *

Hank stuck his sword upwards to block the slash Dan was making towards his sides. The blades clashed again, leaving more sparks on the floor. Then, Hank jumped to his side to dodge a jab and flipped back for more space. Hank smirked while Dan gripped his sword even tighter.

He had grown faster, stronger, and possibly even far more superior to Dan.

Dan was infuriated. He was starting to regret not killing Hank in the first place since things were going all off-course. At first, Dan thought that Hank would kill his teammates and be mauled by Tricky. But instead, Hank had flipped the tables around, and things were looking grim for the man who had been cocky enough to give the opportunity to live for his foe.

Dan slashed at Hank again. A red streak followed the blade from where he aimed at Hank, but Hank ducked and came back up with an uppercut to his jaw. Dan flew a few inches up into the air, and was side-kicked across the room. He collided with the concrete behind him, cracking the wall from the intensity of Hank's attack.

Hank swung his sword outward, hearing a pleasing _"woosh"_ it made in the air. His blade also left a white streak from its large mass and power.

Dan shot open his blood-red eyes. He clenched his fists and burst his arms out of the wall. Noticing that he had dropped his sword from the last kick Hank had left him with, he stuck his hand out and let it fly back into his grasp. Dan stood back up, flaring his teeth.

_**"I'm done playing fucking games. You want to die? Fine. But when I'm done with you, your worthless friends won't even be able to recognize your corpse."**_

Hank replied with nothing, watching Dan stick out his left hand. Another Binary Sword popped out into that one as well, and Dan held the two swords on both sides. Hank narrowed his eyes at Dan, who was grinning madly.

Hank suddenly saw him dash at an inhuman speed, but blocked the two swords ready to slice him into three pieces. To the normal human eye, nobody would've realized where Dan was until he stopped, but thanks to Jebus's upgrades, Hank was able to trace every move from first to last.

The flames on Dan's body suddenly increased, and so did his strength. Hank's feet that were planted firmly on the ground skidded a few centimeters back, letting Hank realize that Dan must've been hiding his true potential all this time.

_'Christoff, I really hope you prepared me for this!'_ Hank thought.

As if Jebus was listening to Hank's wish, he felt the muscles in his arms grow stronger, and Hank was able to push Dan back. Instead of pausing from shock, Dan moved to the side and swung each of his swords at two different angles. Hank blocked one sword aiming from his head, but winced as the second cut deep into the side of his leg.

Hank moved back when Dan slashed forward once more, to take a quick glance at the injury he sustained. The wound was healing, but only at a gradual rate. He also noticed that although the pain in his leg had melted away, his head felt a bit heavier from fatigue.

If Dan's slashes weren't going to kill him, then over-exhaustion will.

Dan saw Hank hesitate and retreat, so he decided to approach with a different tactic to his opponent's defensive nature. Dan shook out both hands and engulfed his swords into flames, making them vanish into thin air. Then, he swayed them again and two SMGs came into his possession. He aimed both at Hank, who was suddenly realizing what was going on.

_**"EAT LEAD YOU FILTHY ROACH!"**_

Hank dropped his sword and summoned a white, transparent force field in front of his body. Hank felt his hand move back as the power of the bullets impacting his defense was large. Dan finally ran out of ammo, and Hank pushed his hand outwards, returning all the firepower back at his enemy. Dan pulled out both of his swords again and blocked each and every bullet with lightning-fast reflexes. Realizing that having two swords slowed him down, he got rid of one and held the other with both hands. Suddenly, Dan pulled off a move Hank didn't recognize during this whole fight.

Dan had quickly sunk into the floor, leaving behind a pile of ash from where he stood.

Hank groaned. _'This kid is full of __**fantastic**__ surprises!'_

Hank heard something behind him, but before he could turn, Dan slashed his back, spewing some blood. Hank stumbled forward, but quickly summoned a shield the shape of a cross, and turned around to block the second slash Dan tried to make into his body.

Dan raised the sword upwards with both arms to slice Hank from the top of his head. But he was too slow, and Hank saw an opening to ram him backwards with his shield. Hank felt himself grow sluggish as he mustered up another sword while getting rid of his cross-shield, because the gash on his back was putting itself back in place. He was even more tired than before, but he just had to accept his flaws and keep fighting. He heeded what Jebus had said:

"_Don't think of failing. Think only of winning. I promise I will give you everything I have as you fight."_

Dan roared a deafening battle cry and swung his sword at Hank as Hank did the same with his own weapon. A visible vibration of power rattled the air and the swords clanged loudly like the Liberty Bell being smashed with a large hammer.

Surprisingly, both swords flew out of their grasps. Not wanting the other to take advantage of this rare moment, they pulled back their right fists and aimed at each other's face. Both men flew into the air as they took the hits, crashing into the hard ground like cannonballs.

Dan and Hank got back onto their feet at the same time. It seemed as though they were planning a similar tactic, because both fired lasers from their hands at each other. If they couldn't cut each other to pieces, then vaporization will be just as good.

The bolts of lightning met each other at a standstill, building up more and more energy with every passing second. Dan pushed forward at Hank, getting the advantage of the fight. But instead, Hank pushed back and matched Dan's strength, moving the laser back at him.

After almost a minute of this, the rays had built itself into a black ball of negative energy. Eventually, the sphere couldn't handle anymore of the pressure both sides put and exploded.

A large laser shot up into the sky, collapsing the ceiling above their heads. Luckily, the truck was left outside, so the bomb was still safe.

But one wrong move and things could go down the shitter.

* * *

Sanford carried Deimos, who was trying to limp on his own while Cathy took the lead. She knew where exactly they had to go, and it would only take them about ten minutes to get there at this pace.

"Hey Sanford?" Deimos finally spoke, breaking the silence.

Sanford's eyes shot open as he realized Deimos was referring to him.

"Yeah?"

"I've never asked you this before, but to pass the time, how was life back before you joined the Anti-A.A.H.W.?"

Sanford continued walking in deep thought while Cathy grinned. Deimos was asking the same question she was trying to get Hank to answer for so long.

"Let's set that aside for later Deimos. Just not now." Sanford replied.

Deimos pouted while Cathy laughed. The two turned towards her to see what was so funny.

Noticing that Sanford and Deimos were confused, she stopped laughing and began explaining.

"Sorry! It's just that, I actually asked Hank the same question before, and got that kind of answer a while back!"

Sanford and Deimos speculated on what she said for a moment, turning to each other.

"Speaking of which, why didn't we ever ask Hank about that?" Sanford asked Deimos.

Deimos shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe we were just too far apart while he was with us and we just forgot."

Sanford stared down at the ground, amused at what Cathy brought up.

"Life for Hank before the Anti-A.A.H.W., huh? I wonder how that was like..." he quietly told himself.

Sanford's ideas were interrupted when he heard a large explosion. The three of them saw a large, black laser, fly up into the sky until it was out of sight. Then, a large gust of wind blasted them all back a few feet, throwing them into the dirt.

When it suddenly went quiet again, Sanford heard something underneath him.

"Sanford! Get off of me!"

Sanford looked below him and saw he was sitting on Deimos's back. He stood up and carried him again, blushing.

"Sorry dude." Sanford apologized.

"Jeez Sanford, along with all the shit I have to deal with now, you nearly break my spine in half with your fat ass! Thanks a lot!" Deimos teased.

Sanford suddenly dropped Deimos on the floor. Deimos hit the ground face-first.

"Ow! Hey, I was just kidding around man!" Deimos shouted.

Sanford picked up Deimos's collar with one hand. Now Deimos was scared.

"Call me a fat-ass one more time, and you fucking die. You got that?" Sanford threatened.

Deimos quickly began to nod, reminiscing about the times he had thought Sanford was bluffing. Those days always ended in disaster...

Sanford let go of Deimos, leaving him immobile. Cathy sighed and picked him up.

_'Boys will be boys...'_ she thought to herself.

Deimos gave her a thumbs up to thank her as she helped him stand. The three of them looked further down the road. What the hell had just happened?

Then, Sanford saw a building not so far away from where they were right now with its top completely blown off. His eyes widened as well as the others' behind him when they realized that's where Hank is, most likely fighting Dan.

"Jebus Christ! What the fuck is going on over there!" Deimos exclaimed.

Sanford shook his head. "I don't know. But whatever it is, it's not gonna end pretty."

* * *

The ceiling was completely decimated. The only remains left of it was the rubble of the rock it was made out of. However, Dan and Hank still weren't finished with each other.

In fact, they were both standing as if nothing had happened.

The dust left behind from the sudden collapse was blinding. Dan and Hank used their auditory senses instead of their visual to find each other. Both men ran in with only their fists because of how little time they had left.

Dan sent a punch towards Hank's skull, but Hank had slid to the side and countered with a roundhouse kick at Dan's stomach. Unfortunately, Dan had gone down into the ground and appeared behind Hank again. This time though, Hank expected his trick and grabbed the fist Dan had used to try to attack him once more. Hank felt the leather on his glove melt from Dan's flames, but gripped tightly, ensuring no escape. He then sent a jab towards Dan's stomach, making him cough out spit and blood.

Hank kneed his chest and spun around for a tornado kick into Dan's face. Dan fell back, still holding on strong. He clenched his fists and flipped over Hank, who was in confusion at this odd attack. Dan then kicked Hank into the back with both feet when he had flown right behind him. Seeing Hank stumble, Dan immediately saw he had an advantage. Dan fell on both hands, rotated his wrists, and sent two kicks at Hank's neck.

Hank twisted to the side in pain. He felt Jebus's powers weakening with every hit. Dan noticed this as well and smirked.

"It seems as though you've reached your limit Hank J. Wimbleton!"

Hank shook off the feeling of his hurting neck and turned around to meet Dan face-to-face. He fell on one knee, realizing that his time was almost up.

Hank stood back up, not wanting to lose this fight.

_"It ain't over until it's over Dan!" _Hank yelled back, regaining his strength.

Dan glared at the nuisance. He just won't quit, will he?

_**"Fine! Suffer, if that's what you ultimately want!"**_

Dan ran in again, swinging a back-fist. Hank ducked and summoned a Carbon Knife. He slashed at Dan every possible way he could think of, only to watch him dodge every attack.

Dan then summoned a Bowie Knife, and the two began another melee fight. Both sides were equally matched defensively and offensively, so whoever would tire out first would lose this battle.

Hank heard a voice in head. He immediately recognized it as Jebus's.

_"Hank, you must end this fight now! My powers are starting to lose their effect on you!"_

Hank's eyes widened as he continued to block Dan's powerful blows.

_'Are you fucking serious Christoff!? I've barely made any progress so far! In fact, __**Dan's**__ the one who's whooping my ass!'_

Hank heard Jebus go silent, and focused again primarily on stopping Dan from stabbing him. Finally, Jebus spoke:

_"Well you'll have to think of something, because I can't keep this up forever!"_

Hank ignored Jebus's warning, knowing that one slip-up could be fatal.

To Hank's utter shock, he missed a move Dan made on his ribs. Hank dropped his knife in pain, leaving himself completely open. He had no choice but to dodge the attacks Dan was making now. However, Hank failed evading every slash and slice Dan made.

Dan continued to lash at Hank repeatedly, leaving almost a dozen cuts on Hank's body. Hank knew just then what was going on.

He couldn't follow Dan's movements anymore.

Hank had lost his powers.

Dan stopped slicing and watched as Hank tripped backwards onto the remains of a wall, exhausted.

Dan saw Hank's clothes flash from white to its normal black again as well as his goggles beginning to turn red. He was done giving chances.

Hank would die here and now.

Dan got rid of his knife and summoned back his Binary Sword, gripping it in his right hand. Hank stood up, raising his own sword shakily. He could barely feel his arms and legs anymore.

Dan ran towards Hank, pulling his sword back for the final blow. Hank stuck his free hand into his pocket.

_**"IT'S OVER!"**_

_ The sound of flesh being split by steel._

_ A puddle of blood hitting the ground._

_ And the victor wearing a grin of killing his challenger._

These were all the things that happened when Dan had successfully stabbed Hank in the stomach.

Hank's eyes widened, as he let go of his weapon. Hank's sword clattered to the ground, melting away into a pile of feathers.

Hank fell forward onto Dan's left shoulder, as Dan jabbed him more deeply. He coughed up blood onto Dan's back, but Dan barely moved a muscle, finally enjoying the one moment he had waited so long for.

Hank lifted his head, trying to pull away, but let it fall back uselessly onto Dan. Dan closed his eyes.

"It seems as though your promise won't be fulfilled after all Hank. This marks a victory for the A.A.H.W., and the downfall of Nevada."

Hank couldn't find the strength to respond.

"I will say this though: you have gotten probably the closest anyone will ever come to killing me. I don't honestly expect Sanford and Deimos to do much about this either, regardless of whether or not they team up against me."

Dan chuckled. Hank shivered from pain and anger.

"Take your last breaths of fresh air Hank, and say goodbye to your people."

Right after Dan said that last sentence, his eyes shot open, and he cringed. Why was the pain returning to his head again? Didn't he reach his final form?

Dan felt the Auditor's black skin melt away. He was left back with his own flesh and blood from before.

Of course! Now it made sense!

Because Dan rushed the gene-mixing process, the effects weren't permanent!

Hank made a small grin at this. "L...looks like...your superpowers are gone too...Dan..."

Dan bit his lip, feeling a mix of negative emotions in his head. He calmed down, reminding himself that he had killed Hank J. Wimbleton, and the invasion can still go as planned.

"That no longer means anything to me anymore Hank. I have accomplished my number one objective. And that was eliminating you."

Hank slowly shook his head, still shaking uncontrollably. Dan was a bit taken back at this.

**"No Dan...you're wrong...because you made...one big mistake..."**

Dan's eyes widened as he felt Hank grip him from his back tightly. Even in his dying state, Dan couldn't jerk off of his hold.

_'How is he still this strong!?'_ Dan thought.

Hank smiled.

**"Your mistake..."**

Dan felt something jab him in the middle of his chest. He threw up yellow blood from whatever Hank had done to him.

"What the-?"

Dan looked down. His jaw opened wide when he realized what Hank used to puncture his heart.

_The pocket knife._

Hank looked back up at Dan's enraged face. Hank's goggles and mask were gone, just like from before, allowing Hank to show Dan the hate in his eyes. Dan felt blood race down his chin.

**"...was when you thought you could mess with Hank J. Wimbleton!"**

* * *

Meanwhile, deep in the A.A.H.W. factory Sanford and Deimos had last infiltrated, a soft ticking noise can be heard from the computers controlling the Improbability Drive. It seems as though Deimos's codes have finally failed him.

The Improbability Drive was in full-effect again.

And so was the bomb.

* * *

A/N: Oh God...I hope I did well enough on this chapter. It's exactly 2,983 words, and I hope I didn't screw up. I did have Writer's Block on how to continue from the last chapter, but I broke through, and this was what I could come back with. Like I said, I'm doing my best over here, and the fact that I'm starting to have trouble describing and thinking of combat moves isn't helping at all.

Anyways, what's done is done. I actually got some reviews from Chapter 33, so let me give you guys a shout-out:

* * *

Sacrom574 (used to be known as Sackrum): Thanks bro! I appreciate the fact that you thought the last chapter was epic! I'm unsure about this one though, given the fact that it's a bit shorter than the other ones...

* * *

Nikolai247: Hey dude! Long time no see! I hope you read all the chapters up while you were gone! I heard though that you've been sick, and I hope you feel better. Really. All the best go to you.

* * *

Kagami: Kagami! It's been so long! I was scared that you had abandoned this story at first, but I'm so glad to see you again! Thank you so much for another positive review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well, and this fight was good enough to satisfy your needs!

P.S.: In a sense, yes. Hank did get his powers back from MC 10 and more, thanks to Jebus. He's actually a lot stronger now to match Dan's upgrades, so a lot of big stuff went down!

* * *

And that's all folks. Thank you so much for your continued support on this story! We've reached 1,500 views so far, and counting!

Also, I want to tell you guys that Nikolai had come down with a bad case of pneumonia, so please, don't blame him for not updating his story "Nikolai's Legacy: A Madness Combat Fanfiction". In return for his absence, I will make even more Madness Combat fics, so bear with me right now, and please, don't spam him with messages like "When will you update?" or "Dude! Why aren't you updating!?". Just at least tell him to get well if you care and I promise to entertain you as he is being treated in the hospital. He is having a minor surgery to get rid of some of the bacteria clogged in his lungs. Again, he is honestly not lying to any of you, and I stand by his word. Nikolai dropped contact with me ever since he got sick, so I believe him.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Final Salvation. I did my very best on it, and I also hope you guys think it works out well with the rest of the story. Chapter 35 will be up soon, possibly even later today, since it's 11:00 in the morning when I posted this.

Ciao!

~Spirit9871


	35. The Detonation of Farewells

Chapter 35: The Detonation of Farewells

* * *

Dan's grip on his sword had loosened while Hank dug his knife deeply into his flesh. Blood leaked out of his mouth.

Dan glared downwards at Hank. _"I'm...I'm being...killed...by a __**POCKET KNIFE!?"**_

Hank grinned. "Ironic isn't it? Even after all the shit...you've done to yourself...you're still not immortal..."

Hank pushed the knife further. Dan coughed out more blood. He didn't understand how such a small weapon could cause so much damage. Something wasn't right here...

Dan looked more closely at Hank's knife. His eyes widened when he saw it.

The knife was glowing white.

Hank had channeled the last of Jebus's energy into it.

Dan shuddered, still staring at his enemy with hateful eyes. _"I see...that last move I pulled out...you manipulated it to your own advantage...you were so desperate not to lose that you were willing to take your own life along with mine's..."_

Hank closed his eyes. He was feeling the life slowly drain out of him and Dan. The Binary Sword stuck into his stomach had melted away into black flames, leaving only a large gash behind.

Finally realizing he was free, Hank let go of his pocket knife, both men falling backwards in opposite directions.

Dan and Hank stared up at what used to be the ceiling. The sky was turning a darker shade of red, meaning that the Improbability Drive was running again.

Dan continued to stare upwards, losing feeling in his body. The knife was still jabbed in his chest, but he didn't to take it out.

He would take Hank with him to Hell.

Dan didn't move a muscle. _"Answer me this one question before I shall be punished by God: Why?"_

Hank blinked, more blood coming out of his cut.

_ "Why did you go through all this trouble saving the one place that denied the three of you as normal people? The Nevadans never gave a damn about what happened to you. They didn't care about the fact that you had risked your lives for them in the past, and even now, some still see you as murderers. So tell me, why waste your time becoming the savior of an ungrateful state?"_

Hank chuckled.

"Unlike you Dan...I'm willing to forgive people for what they've done. To almost each and every single one of them...I've killed someone that they held close to their hearts. But even after all the shunning...even after all the pain of being seen as nothing but a monster...I still understood why...they felt that way. Am I defending myself for what I've done in the past? No. Of course not. I'm a fucking killer for God's sake. We all know that. But you know what...when I opened myself up to people...I found that...people opened back up to me. And the same goes for Sanford and Deimos. Maybe not everyone gave us a second chance...but we're at least trying to get somewhere. And we did get somewhere. Somewhere way better than where we were before."

Dan gritted his teeth, still not fully comprehending why Hank had a change of heart.

_"You're a fool Hank J. Wimbleton. And you'll always be a bloody fool if you keep thinking that way. To have people see you the way you want them to see you, you have to __**force**__ them to follow your orders. Compassion will get you nowhere. Only revenge will satisfy you and your needs."_

Hank sighed. "Do you honestly believe in what you're saying Dan?"

_"Yes!"_

"Well then, I guess you're right. I'll always be a fool."

Dan smirked, thinking that he had finally broken through Hank.

"But you know what?"

Dan's smile vanished.

"...I think I like being a fool. It's much better than being all alone...damned forever..."

Dan turned his head slowly to his side. He saw the computers controlling the bomb still running.

Dan looked down at his right hand. Some of The Auditor's energy was still coursing through his veins. It wasn't much, but he could still use it.

Suddenly, the two of them heard footsteps running up the stairs.

It was Sanford, Deimos, and Cathy.

The three of them ran towards Hank. Cathy covered her mouth in shock from the state he was in, while Sanford turned his head away, not being able to bear the sight. Deimos broke out of Cathy's grip and just stood there.

He fell onto his knees gripping Hank's right arm tightly. Hank turned to Deimos, gasping for air. He forced a smile onto his face.

"Hey Deimos...you alright?"

Deimos bit his lip, shaking. He was crying.

"Hank...what the fuck man...look at you...your whole stomach's cut open..." Deimos said, ignoring Hank's greeting.

Hank closed his eyes. "It's okay Deimos...really...it is. I've gone through worse..."

Hank coughed up blood. Deimos gripped his arm even tighter, digging his nails to the point where he was cutting Hank's skin.

"Hang on Hank! We'll get someone to take care of you! Everything will be fine! Sanford, you, and I; all three of us, we'll be fine! Don't fucking die on me!" Deimos desperately shouted. Sanford and Cathy said nothing, knowing that even Deimos knew it was all over.

"Deimos...don't waste your time. I'm done for. Anyone could see that. Take care of him." Hank replied, cocking his head towards Dan.

The three of them faced Dan. Deimos's eyes showed a mixture of hate and sadness. He ran towards Dan as fast as he could (although his injuries limited his speed).

"YOU!" Deimos yelled as he grabbed Dan by the collar with both hands. "YOU FUCKER! I WOULD TEAR YOU APART IF I WAS GENEROUS ENOUGH NOT SEEING YOU DIE SLOWLY LIKE THIS!"

Dan's head rolled around his neck almost lifelessly. He grinned.

_ "Oh Deimos, what does it matter by now? You won't be able to save your precious Hank even if you chop me up into bite-sized pieces."_

Dan suddenly summoned a pistol. Deimos's eyes widened when he saw this, but instead of aiming it at Deimos, Dan shot the monitor of the computer controlling all of the bomb's actions.

Deimos dropped Dan as the rest of them stared in complete disbelief at what Dan had just done. Deimos gritted his teeth, turning back to Dan. Dan made a short chuckle.

_**"Looks like you're too late...nobody can stop this train ride to Hell now..."**_

Dan suddenly began laughing.

_**"WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE! EVERY SINGLE POOR, PATHETIC SOUL IN THIS GODDAMNED TOWN! THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT! NOTHING! EVERYTHING WILL BE A DESOLATE WASTELAND IN THE END!"**_

Deimos shook his head, grasping his hair with both hands. "No...no, no, no, no, no, no, no...this can't be happening...THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!"

Deimos smacked Dan's head with a sharp punch to his cheek. Dan's head shot back, but Dan didn't even bother turning it around. He frowned.

**"You..."**

Cathy didn't need to ask to figure out Dan was talking to her.

**"You little whore...you're the reason why I'm in this state...You fucked EVERYTHING up. I don't give a shit if you die with these worthless people."**

Cathy gulped, trying to find the strength to say something back.

"Danny...I didn't do this to you. You did this to yourself. Revenge is not the answer; it never is. Hank was trying to protect everyone. You were going to-"

**"SHUT UP!" **Dan snapped at her.

Cathy flinched.

**"Don't you DARE call me by that name. I'm not your fucking brother anymore. You better rot you bitch. You deserve to perish as much as everyone else here does!"**

"Dan! I-"

**"NO! Leave me alone. I've had it. Had it with all of you."**

Cathy looked down. Dan had rejected her once more, and she knew it was too late to try again.

**"See you all in HELL." **Dan finished, his head falling back onto the floor. Dan's eyes stared lifelessly to his side at the bomb. Cathy felt tears roll down her cheeks. It was official.

Her big brother was gone. And this time, she knew it.

Deimos ran towards the computer Dan fired at. He destroyed the screen, meaning that Deimos wouldn't be able to deactivate the explosive from there anymore.

Deimos smashed the computer with both fists.

"No!" he yelled, losing all the hope that built up inside his head.

Sanford ran up to Deimos, with an idea.

"Can't you just pull out some wires or some shit to take this thing out?" he suggested.

Deimos turned to Sanford. One look at his face already gave him the answer.

"Sanford, we can't do something as simple as that. If I tug on the wrong line, then I could accidentally trigger the whole bomb _**before**_ it was meant to go off. It's no use. Dan won. There's no other way to stop this thing."

Sanford took a step back, trying to digest all the information.

No.

It couldn't end like this!

"There has to be a way!" Sanford hollered.

_**"There is." **_Hank suddenly interrupted.

Sanford and Deimos turned to Hank, who was being treated by Cathy. To their shock, Hank actually sat up, even in the state he was in right now. As if that was hard enough to believe, Hank then stood, but stumbled to his side and fell back down.

The two men ran at Hank, trying to help him up, but Hank turned them away.

"No...I got this..."

At last, Hank stood up, grasping his stomach with his right hand. He was feeling himself losing his balance, so he held himself up with the side of the truck.

Hank shivered from agonizing pain. He looked up at his two comrades, patiently waiting for his answer.

"Do you guys remember when Cathy...told us that the bomb was wirelessly connected to the Improbability Drive?"

They nodded.

"Well, if I can get the bomb out of the Drive's range, then that should be able to lower the power of the explosion." Hank explained.

Deimos looked at him, puzzled. "Huh? How are you supposed to do that? This bomb's HUGE! You can't bring that thing somewhere and run off in time before you blow up yourself!"

Hank stared down solemnly.

"I know. I never said I would come back alive."

At first, Sanford, Deimos, and Cathy watched him with confusion as he walked to the driver's seat. Then, their eyes widened from realization.

Hank was going to drive the bomb far enough to keep it from destroying a large area of land. But at the same time, that would mean he would die in the process, since the bomb was going to explode, regardless of how fast or how far he travels.

Cathy shook her head, not leaving an eye off of Hank.

"So...that's it?" she asked him.

Hank stopped to listen. He stood still.

"You're just going to leave me...leave all of _us_, just like that?"

Hank didn't say a word.

Cathy looked down, shaking.

"What are you thinking!? I'm not going to just watch you die!"

Tears began hitting the floor from where she was facing. Hank breathed deeply out.

"Cathy. You know I have to do this."

Hank continued limping to the door of the truck. Suddenly, he heard footsteps, and felt Cathy grasp his back.

"NO! I won't let you go! I don't care if I have to die with you!" Cathy screamed.

Hank turned his head slightly to his right to see Cathy. She dug her face into him, leaving a wet print from her tears.

"Please...don't leave me...I can't live without you..." she said in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

Hank turned around to meet her face-to-face. He went down on one knee to let the both of them sit down. Cathy was rubbing her eyes.

"Cathy, it's okay. You don't have to do anything for me anymore. I forgive you. And I thank you. Even though everything before wasn't real, I at least got the chance to _feel_ something real. Maybe it wasn't true love. But it was somewhere around those lines." Hank told her.

Hank untied the bandana on his head and gave it to Cathy. Cathy held it in the palm of her hand, feeling her chest sink. She felt like she was going to be sick, because this would be the last thing Hank would give her.

Hank closed her hand into a fist over his headgear. "Here. Keep this. Even when I leave, there will always be a part of me with you, no matter where you go."

Cathy threw her arms back, ready to shout at Hank, until Hank had kissed her on the lips, silencing what she was about to say. Cathy's eyes widened, but she didn't move an inch. Suddenly, just as she thought Hank would stay with her forever, she felt Hank's hand hit her somewhere near her neck. Her body started going numb, and she fell back.

_"Hank..."_

Cathy's unconscious body hit the floor.

"I'm sorry Cathy. But I just can't keep that promise." he told her. Sanford and Deimos saw all this on the side, feeling complete sorrow for Hank.

Hank pulled himself back up with the help of the truck. He turned back around until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Forgot something?"

Hank immediately knew Sanford was the one talking to him. He narrowed his eyes.

"Sanford, you and Deimos have to stay here. When I'm gone, then it's up to you two to take care of Nevada."

Sanford laughed. He turned Hank around and gripped his shoulders tight.

"You really have some balls to tell me orders Hank. Especially in this occasion. There's no fucking way we're letting you go. Cathy might've fell for your trick, but not us. Either we're going to all die here from this metal ball-sack, or you're taking us with you."

Hank clenched his fists. He was angered by their disobedience.

"Sanford! You-"

"Hank, you're not stopping us. We're brothers to the end. If one of us dies, then all of us do." Sanford stated firmly.

Hank stared deep into his eyes. He sighed at Sanford's persistence.

"Fine...but there's no turning back when you get on, got it?"

Sanford nodded, and so did Deimos. Of course, they were nervous at this offer Hank made. But there was no way they were going to let him die alone.

Hank turned back around and put himself in the middle of the driver's seat and shotgun. Sanford took the wheel while Deimos checked the timer on the bomb.

10 minutes left.

Deimos told the others how long they had until detonation and sat at Hank's right side. Sanford took a deep breath. The truck was already prepared to leave with the engine left running. All Sanford had to do was drive.

_'Here we go...'_ he thought as he pushed his feet onto the accelerator.

The truck moved slowly at first, but began traveling at a faster rate. The three of them said nothing to each other as they drove off out of Nevada to a desolate field.

Deimos made a loud gulp of anticipation. Just like Hank said:

No turning back now.

* * *

Sanford focused on the road, keeping his mind off of reality. The only thing he thought of was his destination. Everything else afterwards wouldn't matter.

Hank's head was facing upwards. He covered his wound to stop himself from losing too much blood. He couldn't die yet. Hank had to live as long as he could right now.

Finally, Deimos couldn't handle the painful silence inside the truck. He turned to Hank, not wanting to bother Sanford's driving.

"...Hank?"

Hank made a slow nod to tell Deimos to go on.

"...Where are we going?"

Hank looked back in front of him. He pointed down the road.

"There..." Hank said in a weak voice.

Deimos did a face-palm.

"No, I don't mean where we're driving the truck to. I mean, where are we going after we...you know...go _boom_."

Hank stared at the techie's face. He knew that Deimos was young and nervous about religious crap. There was no point lying.

Hank shook his head.

"I don't honestly know Deimos. We're just gonna have to find out on our own."

Deimos glowered, expecting that response.

"I bet we're gonna go to Hell..." Deimos muttered.

Sanford gripped the steering wheel harder, knowing that Deimos could be right.

The two of them jumped back into their seats when they heard Hank laughing and wheezing.

"Hell, huh? Deimos, we've already gone through it now, so why are you so afraid of it later? Besides, it sounds like fun." Hank said.

Deimos grinned and laughed himself. Only Hank J. Wimbleton would say something like that.

"You know Hank, you're a funny son of a bitch. And I don't care what other people say about you. I'm glad we're all going to die at the same time." Deimos joked.

Sanford and Hank wore their own smirks. Hank was touched from Deimos's statement, and figured...that he was glad to die with Sanford and Deimos too. In fact, he probably would've regretted not taking them with him if he went alone.

With a sudden shock of realization, Hank finally understood his existence.

He didn't need women, publicity, or money to feel happy.

He just wanted to be next to his two best friends: the only two people in the world who would never betray him no matter what.

And now, he would die with them.

Hank smiled. Dan was right.

Hank is a fool.

But he would die a happy fool...

And to Hank, that's really all that mattered...

Deimos pulled out his phone. He read the time. He sighed.

"Well...there's only one minute left. Any last words?"

Sanford stared at the phone in deep thought, but shook his head. The truck was about 20 miles away from the Drive, meaning that he had done his job. There was no way the bomb would destroy the state now that it was so far away from its source of power.

"Nah...I'm good..."

Hank however, nodded.

"Actually, there is one more thing I think we should all do."

Sanford and Deimos turned to him.

"Remember that chant The Higher Powers told us to say whenever we're at the verge of death?"

Sanford rolled his eyes. "Are you serious Hank? That's so corny!"

Deimos beamed. "Actually, it would be kinda cool if we ended our lives like this."

Hank and Deimos stared at Sanford, who was still unsure about it. Sanford groaned.

"Fine. It's good to know that I'm about to die with two children..." he said in a low voice.

Deimos stuck out his hand.

_"No regrets."_

Sanford placed his hand on top of Deimos's.

**"No remorse."**

Hank was the last one to join in, plopping his own hand on Sanford's.

_**"Only Madness..."**_

The bomb ticked to the final second.

And in a blink of an eye, everything was gone.

* * *

Cathy's sore eyes shot open. She stood back up, suddenly remembering what she had cried about.

Cathy desperately looked around her.

They were gone.

And so was the bomb.

Not sure on what to do next, she began dashing out of the port to follow the trio. But sure enough, she only went a few steps until a large explosion had knocked her off her feet.

Cathy covered her eyes from the dirt flying at her, but as soon as that cleared, she looked back up, her eyes widening. A large cloud of smoke formed from where the explosion had come from.

Cathy shook her head.

'_No.'_

_ 'No way...'_

_ 'They...they couldn't be dead...'_

Cathy began running as fast as she could towards the blast site, but tripped on her feet. She pushed herself back up and cupped her face in her hands, crying harder than she ever did before.

Hank...

Sanford...

Deimos...

All three of them...were **dead**.

The bandana Hank had given her fell off her grasp, flying away into the wind.

* * *

"Mr. President, we've received a crucial update from our sources at Nevada." Shane said.

President Lance, a very well mannered and well dressed young man, was now edging towards insanity. Dan (who they still thought was Augustus) was destroying his country and he couldn't do anything about it.

He shook his head, a heartbeat close to tears. "I just don't know what to do anymore Shane. Just give me a break."

Shane grinned. "Actually, I think you may like to hear this."

Lance looked up. Could it be true? Some actual good news for once?

"Go on." Lance pushed.

Shane nodded. "We've gotten word that the bomb in Nevada has exploded."

Lance looked at Shane with a dumbfounded look. "How is this good news!?"

Shane rose up a hand. "Relax sir. The bomb did explode, but apparently, somebody had carried it off to a safe location where no casualties were sustained."

Lance jumped out of his seat. "Are you saying that-?"

"Yes." Shane answered abruptly. "Augustus no longer has anything to hold against us."

Lance's eyes widened. Then, he gritted his teeth.

"**SEND IN EVERY SINGLE SOLDIER WE HAVE TO NEVADA, AND ORDER THEM TO KILL ALL THE MOTHERFUCKERS FROM THAT GOD DAMN A.A.H.W.! LEAVE NO SURVIVORS!"**

* * *

A/N: Ahhh...that's better. 3,500 words. Good, the word count increased back to its usual number.

You guys are like freaking hungry carnivores for God's sake! I just uploaded a new chapter earlier today, and apparently, it has gotten already 11 views! Wow! That's crazy! I never thought you guys liked this story THAT much! Thank you all! It's really touching!

Reviewers' Credit:

* * *

**Sacrom574**: Thanks dude! Really appreciate the fact that you liked the last chapter and thought it was awesome! I hope you like this chapter as well, because I did my best here too!

* * *

**Kagami**: Thanks for another positive review, and it's good to hear ya still love the story! To answer your question, the reason why Sanford and Deimos did not recognize Dan's face was because of two reasons:

1) They fought more than a hundred agents and engineers before! You can't expect them to remember each and every single one of their faces!

2) Dan had changed his facial features before he pretended to be Augustus so nobody would recognize him as who he was originally. I wanted to say that in my story, but I couldn't find the right place to put it in...

So, I hope that answers your question!

* * *

That's that. Anyways, to all of you, I say thanks! You listened and actually visited the stories I told you guys about! That's really cool of you to do, and I appreciate each and every single one of you! Don't worry: this clearly isn't the end. Two more chapters will follow this one, but they will both be extremely short, so I shall post them on the same day at the same time.

Like I said above, because Chapters 36 and 37 are small, they'll be up really, REALLY quick. Not today because it's too late over here in N.Y.C., but it will come definitely tomorrow. So keep that in mind!

Nikolai is also recovering from his pneumonia after receiving lung surgery for it, which is great! Still haven't gotten word from him though if he's completely fine, but he'll probably be back in action in the next two weeks!

By the way, the next chapter will not have a reviewer's credit in it because of its length. Chapter 37 is the FINAL reviewer's credit for whatever reviews I will get on 35 and 36 as well as any new reviews from past chapters, so if you have anything to say, SAY IT NOW, or you will never again be featured in this story's reviewer's credit. DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST SECOND! It's now or never!

See you guys tomorrow and good night from New York! As always, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter of Final Salvation!

~Spirit9871


	36. Resurrections of Forgiveness

Chapter 36: Resurrections of Forgiveness

* * *

Everyone who was still alive in Nevada sat down in their seats. It was a very large funeral in the local cemetery for the bodies that were identified, as well as for the three heroes that had saved them all.

Hank, Sanford, and Deimos.

Three days had passed since the onslaught that had shook Nevada. News quickly spread about what had happened, including Augustus's real identity and his plans. The Army came in to take down the rest of the A.A.H.W. agents still fighting. The A.A.H.W. were soon outnumbered and eliminated by the large forces against them. As the plan in Nevada failed, so did the attacks on the different states.

The A.A.H.W. facility where the Improbability Drive was being kept at was discovered as well. The Drive had been deactivated by specialists, and normality was restored.

But today, the clouds were dark. This was a day not meant for celebrating.

Cathy was wearing a dark dress for this occasion. She held Hank's bandana tightly in her right hand. No bodies were discovered when a search party was sent to find the three of them at the blast site.

At least they were now commemorated as heroes; something that should've been done so long ago when they were still alive.

...But...

Tears went down her cheeks silently.

...She wanted them back...

...She wanted him back...

_'Hank...'_

The pastor chosen for this event finally stood up on the podium. He was going to give a speech to the Nevadans. Although his words would be short because he would say whatever comes into his head (since this wasn't obviously scripted before), he had to take care of the community.

Taking a deep breath, he started.

"Today is a dark day for all Nevadans. For all Americans, in fact. We've lost too many close to us on this fight over our land. Was all the violence worth it? Was all the violence worth the lives of so many people? Of course not. Just like the Holocaust, just like on 9/11, this battle was never worth the casualties we suffer in the end. So much has happened to all of us. The pain is agonizing, but as the people of this country, we must move forward. Forward to a better future that we must build. Forward to a better future that awaits us."

The pastor stood a few seconds in silence, letting those listening to him digest what he had just said. After this, he continued.

"There is still a seed of hope that grows in this land of destruction. People have sacrificed their lives for the rest of us to live. That includes the Chief of Police, Ben Harley, as well as the three men we have all seen originally as murderers: Hank, Sanford, and Deimos, and the men and women of the Nevadan Police Force."

More silence. But it wasn't over.

"With this seed they have given us, we will help it grow into the tree of life and civilization. Today was a test from God himself. A test to show mankind that our lives must not be taken for granted. Our losses may be great, but what we shall gain from this day forward will be greater. I will walk this path of change, looking forward, but never forgetting."

"So bear with me, brothers and sisters of this nation. Bear with me and walk down this road for the future that has been given to us. Always remember who you are and your purpose. Never forget that we will stand strong in the end. As the children of God, we must stand strong. All my blessings go out to the families that had lost those near and dear to them and I would like to thank you all for listening."

A large uproar of clapping commenced from the crowd. When it died down, the pastor said his last words to transition to the next person.

"If any one of you would like to say any words of inspiration or any of your thoughts, then please raise your hand. We have enough time to hear one last speech before I call out the names of those who had perished."

Before anyone would say anything, someone at the far back raised their hand, standing. Nobody had realized anyone was there behind them since they were too focused on listening to the pastor or were still crying.

_"Yeah, about what you said before on us being dead, you're wrong."_

The pastor squint his eyes to see who exactly was talking to him. He gaped as well as the people who had turned to the direction of the voice.

Gasps and words of shock were passed to each other. Cathy, who had her head in her hands, finally lifted herself up, wanting to know what was going on. She turned around and jumped out of her seat.

Hank, Sanford, and Deimos were standing right there. But how?

Cathy, not caring the least, ran up to them. Hank's eyes widened when he saw how fast she was running.

"Crap..." he said to himself.

Sanford and Deimos stepped out of the way when they saw Cathy tackle Hank to the ground, hugging him as tight as she could.

Hank's eyes bulged out of his head. "Cathy...please let go...I really will be dead if you keep that up..."

Cathy let go, shaking her head. Everyone was as stupefied as she was.

"How...how are you guys still alive?"

Hank chuckled, sitting himself back up. Cathy noticed that Hank's cut on his stomach was gone, and he looked as if nothing had even happened to him before.

"Let's just say we got help from some people we knew back then." Hank simply stated.

Cathy was still confused, and even a bit scared. But still, Hank, Sanford, and Deimos had blown up! How did they survive?

Before Hank could go on with his explanation, they heard a bolt of lightning hit the ground followed by a piercing screech from the crowd in front of them. Everybody stood up from their chairs and the officers nearby pulled out their pistols.

One of the bodies that was buried stuck a hand out.

Deimos's eyes widened. He stole a pistol from an officer (who was shocked at how fast Deimos had acted) and aimed it at the body coming out of the dirt. It was an ATP agent with a bullet hole on his mask.

"OH MY FUCKING GOD! ZOMBIES! KILL THEM! WITH FIRE!" Deimos screamed.

Hank stood up and started running around, waving his hands.

"Wait! Stop! Don't shoot! They're not zombies you idiots!"

Everyone with a firearm in his or her hand lowered it, but stayed on caution if the thing popping out of the ground was going to chomp someone's brains out. People backed away at the ATP agent shaking his head. The agent didn't seem to act like a zombie though...

The ATP agent looked around him, as if he was searching for somebody.

Hank ran up to the podium. After finally making it there, he spoke into the microphone.

"Everyone please! Just listen for a second, will you!?" Hank ordered.

The citizens, still unsure, stayed standing up and gave their attention to Hank.

Hank sighed. "Listen, here's what happened:"

* * *

_Hank opened his eyes. He felt himself staring at a black ceiling in a pitch-black room._

_ He stood up and looked around him. Why was this place so familiar? Was he stuck in Jebus's void again?_

_ No. _

_ Jebus's realm was way darker than this. And Hank felt as if he could float during his time there. This was different. _

_ So where the hell was he?_

_ Hank looked down, and realized that the fatal cut Dan had made into his stomach was gone. In fact, Hank felt all the bruises and aches his body suffered vanish. _

_**"It seems as though you've finally woken up, Hank ."**_

_Hank took a step back, trying to find the source of the voice. Was it God? No, it sounded a lot like multiple people saying the same thing at once...or is that how God actually sounds like? But Hank recognized who was talking to him._

_ Hank looked up. He stared into the faces of his previous leaders. The same people who had denied him death whenever he would ask them for it._

_ Hank blinked. "Well, I definitely didn't expect seeing you guys again."_

_ The large figures coated in black merely looked back down at Hank._

_**"It seems as though you still have that same attitude from three years ago, don't you, Hank. After all, you are the only person who would talk to us, The Higher Powers, in such a manner."**_

_ Hank chuckled. "Can't change who I am. No matter how many times you resurrect me."_

_ He then started turning his head to all the different angles of the room. Hank knew that he was now in the Anti-A.A.H.W.'s secret base. But that meant he was still alive._

_ "Oh wow...it's been a while since I've seen this place." Hank said to himself._

_ The Powers nodded. Hank never really did know where and when they originally came from, but it seemed as though it would stay that way until the end of time. _

_ He finally decided to say what was on his mind._

_ "Why did you bring me back?"_

_ The Powers narrowed their eyes at him._

_**"Are you not grateful for what we've given you?"**_

_ Hank shook his head. "Of course I appreciate it. I'm just asking why."_

_ The Higher Powers shifted back into their seats. When one of them would make an action, the rest of them would mimic the exact same thing. They were one being, only split into different parts._

_**"We've decided to be generous and spare your lives after all the torment you had to go through society. Also, it's time for the three of you to finally live normal lives."**_

_ Hank speculated on those last two sentences. The Higher Powers said "your lives", which meant that they had saved someone else besides Hank. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out whom._

_ "What about San-"_

_**"Sanford and Deimos are outside. They are waiting for you when you are done saying your final thoughts to us."**__ They interrupted._

_ Hank nodded in satisfaction. Okay, so all that was left for him to do was to ask whatever he wanted, right? _

_ "Why did you lie to us? If you knew that there was an underground facility the A.A.H.W. was building, then why didn't you say anything? We could've gone in there and killed the rest of them without going through all this heartache." Hank asked._

_**"We did not lie to any of you Hank. You know better than that. We knew all this time about the Project, but we merely shrugged it off, thinking that it would crumble along with the fall of The Auditor. Eventually, after our spies had left the Agency and stopped keeping an eye out for it, we lost track of what happened, which ultimately led to this disaster."**_

_ Hank understood their answer, but was unhappy with it. They could sense Hank's upset reaction to it, but said nothing to allow him to continue. Hank decided to question the part where they said "normal lives"._

_ "How are we still going to live normal lives? I mean, it was bad enough before, but now, there's no way anyone will forget about this."_

_**"You've asked that same question three years ago Wimbleton. And we will give you the same answer: stay with Sanford and Deimos. The three of you can take care of each other better than any other person can on this planet. As a result for following our advice, your life did get better. You were able to establish a relationship with your comrades as friends instead of acknowledging each other as mere combatants, and you were able to develop a feeling of love towards the woman named Cathy. Very entertaining though, how that turned out."**__ The Higher Powers replied with grins, referring to Hank's night._

_ Hank turned red and looked down. "Fucking assholes..."_

_**"Be careful what you say in our presence Hank. We have the power to bring you back, and we still have the power to take you away."**_

_ "You know that I don't give a shit about whether or not I live."_

_**"Don't think for your own sake Hank, but for those whom you've grown bonds with."**_

_ Hank suddenly remembered Sanford, Deimos, and Cathy. Maybe the concept of death to him was nothing, but to the others, it had completely devastated them. Hank sighed, listening to his ex-leaders._

_**"Hank."**_

_ Hank looked back up to them._

_**"For the pain and suffering we may have caused upon you, we will grant you one wish. Anything you like will be in your hands if you just ask."**_

_ Hank was shocked that they were giving him the power to choose what he wanted. Usually, they would just toss their rewards to whomever they believed deserved them without asking first. But this time, Hank could get whatever he desires._

_**"Choose wisely."**__ They informed him._

_ Hank bit his lip, thinking. What would a man want in his life? Riches beyond his wildest dreams? No...money was useless if you don't spend it, and Hank doesn't really need to buy anything. What about women? Pfft, yeah right. He could barely handle taking care of Cathy, so why would he want those? Maybe immortality? Sounds good at first, but he was clever enough to know that living forever is eventually a boring and dull thing since everyone else around you dies._

_ His final choice hit him in the head sharply like a dagger. Hank knew what he wanted. _

_ "Hey!" Hank yelled out for attention._

_ The Higher Powers glared at Hank, annoyed at the lack of respect Hank had put into their titles._

_ "I've finally got it." Hank continued, ignoring their looks. _

_ Now, The Powers were interested. _

_**"What is it that you wish for?"**_

_ Hank said his answer out loud, making sure that they had clearly heard him. _

**"I wish that everyone who had been killed in the war between the Anti-A.A.H.W. and the A.A.H.W. would be revived, as well as those who were unfortunate enough to lose their lives in the past day or so."**

_ For probably the first and only time in his natural life, Hank saw their eyes widen. _

_**"Hank...what you ask for is massive. To execute such an action would be-"**_

_ "What? Impossible? You're THE Higher Powers for God's sake! In fact, you guys ARE GODS. So why can't you do this one thing for me? For any of us? After all, it was your fault that people had to die today. So why can't you make this up for us?"_

_ They shook their heads. _

_** "We're sorry Hank, but we cannot fiddle with nature so drastically. Bringing only ONE person back from the dead is risky, so we just can't comply to your- "**_

_ "Please," Hank said, prostrating to them. The Higher Powers were left in shock from what was happening. Here was the man who had questioned everything they did, and even spat at some of their doings, submitting to their will._

_ "Please, just this one thing. I swear on my life I will never ask for anything else other than this. Torture me if you'd like, but please. Just give me a break. Give us all a break. You guys know damn well that everything in the past wasn't meant to happen because of the Improbability Drives. So fix it. Fix the damage already done to all of us." Hank begged, his head still touching the floor._

_ The Higher Powers sat there, completely blown away. Was Hank willing to go that far to get what he wanted? Still...he did make a good point..._

_ They sighed, raising up their hands._

_**"Very well then. We do not know what this means for the future, however, we will do what you wish. But mark our words Hank: you will never see our faces again after this. Humanity must take its own course of life and death without the tampering of outside forces. Never again, shall we give anything to the mortals."**_

_Hank nodded. He was willing to go by those terms._

_ "Thank you..."_

_**"Go Hank, before we change our minds. Your life is waiting for you. Live it to the fullest you can, and never forget the second chance we've given you." **_

* * *

"-and that's that." Hank finished. Sanford and Deimos knew about the part where they were resurrected by The Higher Powers, but it would've made things A LOT easier to handle if Hank could've just told them about the wish too...

Sanford, Deimos, and Cathy ran up the podium with Hank. Nobody could believe what they were hearing, but still, there really was no other explanation for the phenomenon happening right before their eyes.

The ATP agent also listened carefully to Hank, still struggling to find what he lost.

One red-haired woman from the crowd suddenly recognized his face. She walked out of the bunch of people around her.

"M-Michael? Is that you?"

The agent turned to her, his eyes widening.

"Jennifer!"

He threw down his mask, ran towards her, and gave her a bear hug.

The woman started crying. "My God...it's been three whole years since you were dead...What's going on?"

The agent looked at her and pointed at Hank. "It was him. He brought me back to life. Somehow, I still remember everything that happened afterwards with the A.A.H.W. even after I died. How's the family?"

Hank smirked. It seemed as though The Higher Powers were smart enough to give those returning from the dead knowledge of the world around them after their deaths.

The woman laughed from joy and disbelief. "It's a long story..."

As more bolts of lightning hit the ground with more bodies, one by one, agents of all different kinds came out of the dirt, each of them confused as hell, but overjoyed to see those they loved return back to their arms. Hank, Sanford, Deimos, and Cathy watched the hug-and-kiss fest go on nearby.

"Looks like the local condom factory is gonna make some BIG business tonight..." Deimos whispered quietly into Sanford's ear.

"Amen to that..." Sanford told him back.

Cathy suddenly realized her father was among the dead, and was being returned to life. He was buried in a cemetery not so far from where they were right now. She turned to Hank.

"I have to go see my father!"

Before Hank could stop her, Cathy ran off, along with other people who had figured the same thing she did.

Hank shook his head and sighed.

The bolts falling from the sky were coming at an uncountable rate, but it was obvious why. More than two-thousand people were being resurrected from the deceased, so it would take The Higher Powers forever to bring back everyone if they did it at a slow pace.

The last ray that fell from the sky was a bit later than the rest of them. When it hit the dirt and somebody crawled out, everyone stopped their cheering and joyful reunions.

Dan was the last corpse to come back to life.

Dan stared at his hands and felt his face.

"What the hell!?" he yelled out.

Before he could stand, somebody had tackled him from behind.

This man was no other than Chief Harley himself.

Harley whispered into Dan's ear. "You're fucked kid."

Dan gritted his teeth, looking around him. Everyone had stared at the person who brought back their worst nightmare: the A.A.H.W.

Sanford walked up to Harley and smiled. "Glad to have you back Chief."

Harley nodded, pinning down Dan to the ground, and restraining his hands with cuffs. He then pulled him back up to meet Hank face-to-face.

With the knowledge of what happened after death, Dan already knew what was going on and why his plan failed. He turned and growled at Hank.

"Why the fuck did you bring me back...?"

Hank stared back at him. "The only reason I let The Higher Powers resurrect you was because I felt bad for Cathy. In fact, if it wasn't for her, you'd be the one who's rotting in Hell you sadistic bastard."

Dan laughed. "Ha! Her? You think I'll become a goody-two shoes just because you brought me back!? Didn't I ever tell you that compassion gets you nowhere!? You're so fucking stupid!"

Dan turned to one 1337 agent watching him from the distance. "YOU! KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!"

The agent pulled off his red glasses and threw them down to the ground, smashing it with his feet.

"No." he firmly rejected.

"WHAT!?"

"You think I'm going to attack the person who brought me back from the dead? Fat chance. You're on your own." the 1337 agent spat back.

Dan twitched. He saw every other agent throw down their glasses or their masks. It seemed as though his army had turned against him.

Dan turned back at Hank, enraged beyond his limits. Hank stared emotionlessly at his distress.

"You...I'll never forgive you for what you've done! NEVER! I'll always hate you from the bottom of my heart. I'll destroy this whole planet myself if I have to! I'll-!"

_"Daniel."_ A voice said calmly behind Hank.

Hank let the man walking with Cathy pass by him. Dan's hateful look had melted away as soon as he saw the man's face. His throat went dry and his jaw opened wide.

"D-dad?"

The man nodded. Ah, so this was the man Hank had killed. He was an ATP agent who had lifted up his mask up to meet his son after so long.

Dan merely stared. "My God..."

Cathy and Dan's father went down on one knee. His face showed pain and utter sadness from his eyes.

"I know what you're doing, but I want you to stop. This is wrong. All of it is. I know Hank had killed me before, but he was doing it for the sake of Nevada, and he even cared enough to bring me back."

Dan shook his head wildly. The whole purpose of this fight was because of Hank killing his father. But now, he had no idea what to do because his purpose is deemed meaningless now.

"No...what about all those years!? All those years that you were gone, huh!? Can I just forgive him for that!?" Dan countered.

His father sighed. "Daniel. I'm sorry for every second I wasn't with you. But you have to realize it's over. Stop fighting against it and accept reality. It's all over. You've lost."

Hearing that from his father, Dan's fell to the ground, head sinking. Tears began to hit the floor silently, and Hank could hear Dan's light sobbing.

"...Fuck you Hank J. Wimbleton. I hate you SO much...You brought me back to torture me like this. Screw you. Screw everyone here..."

Hank said nothing as Harley picked the young man up from his knees.

"Come on." Harley told him. He forced Dan to the local prison nearby, where he would be sentenced later by court. But by now, Dan had lost the will to live.

When nobody was looking, he glared at the road in front of him.

_'I swear that I WILL MAKE YOU PAY HANK. THIS ISN'T THE LAST YOU'LL SEE OF ME.'_ Dan thought, chuckling silently to himself.

Dan had gone insane with revenge...

Hank sadly watched Dan get dragged away by Harley. Of course, Dan brought this to himself, but Hank knew that he was the cause for what he became today.

Sighing, he turned his head to his friends. Sanford smirked while Deimos lit a cigarette, this time with both hands thanks to The Higher Powers healing his wound.

Then, Hank turned to Cathy. She smiled and hugged him again.

"Thank you so much Hank. I forgive you too..."

Hank nodded, pulling her away. He didn't honestly care if her father was watching him, knowing that he had forgiven Hank as well.

Hank stared at her. "So-ooooooo...Does that mean we're even?"

Cathy rolled her eyes. "Just kiss me you moron." she said, as she mashed her lips into his.

Deimos grinned at the whole event. He saw a small ray of light expanding on the floor. Deimos looked up.

The clouds were clearing up.

And the sun was shining with the blue sky again.


	37. Final Salvation

Chapter 37: Final Salvation

* * *

"Papa?" a child's voice said. The young boy was five, with brown hair from his father and blue eyes from his mother. An extremely rare mix.

A man groaned, as he rubbed his face from tiredness. He was lying on the couch, watching the TV blare at him with the local news.

"Papa?" the child repeated.

The man sighed. "Yes Damion?"

Damion made a cheeky grin, lifting up a piece of paper with a crude drawing on it with three people: a woman, a small child, and a man, all holding hands and smiling. Written with some words that were almost illegible are: "Mama", "Papa", and "Me", with arrows pointing to each person underneath.

The man smiled and patted his son's head. "Good job Damion! One day you can become a great artist!"

Damion shook his head. "No papa! I want to be a superhero that saves the world, just like you!"

The man laughed. "I believe you can."

Damion, content with his father's answer, ran back to his room to draw more stuff. The man sat back on his chair, much more relaxed now. Just then, a blonde woman called his name.

"Hank! There's a roach on the wall!" she yelled.

Hank looked at the kitchen wall from the couch. Sure enough, a large brown cockroach was crawling. The pest stopped moving, realizing that it had been spotted. It took a pause to anticipate its enemy's movements. The blonde woman continued to wash dishes calmly, knowing that her husband will take care of the problem.

Hank pulled out his trusty pocket knife, the same one he used to kill Dan. He had to admit though, roaches sure made good target practice.

Hank chucked the knife at the wall almost ten feet away from him. Before the roach could even fly off, the knife stabbed it from the back, making it fall onto the counter.

"Got it Cathy!" Hank yelled back.

Cathy nodded, putting the last dish in the rack. She swept the dead insect off into the trash, tossing the knife back to Hank from the blunt side. Hank caught it with one hand, knowing that Cathy knew the process they used to kill roaches "the fun way".

"Thanks Hank!" she gratefully said.

Hank made a low grunt as he continued to watch the news for anything interesting. Suddenly, the door rang. Cathy wiped her hands off and walked towards the front door while Damion ran out of his room. Cathy opened the door and smiled.

"Come in!" she welcomed the two men at her door.

They both walked in, Damion jumping with glee.

"Uncle Sanford! Uncle Deimos!" he yelled out loud.

Deimos grinned, picking the young boy up into the air, tossing him upwards and catching him again.

"Hey Damion! How's it been?" Deimos replied.

"Good!" Damion said back out loud. Damion ran back into his room to get his drawing.

Sanford chuckled. "The only reason why that kid likes you more is because you still act like one..."

Deimos smirked. "No need to be jealous Sanford! You wish you had my awesomeness!"

Sanford shook his head. "Still can't believe you were able to get Mary pregnant with the little 'awesomeness' you had left in your balls after masturbating so much when you were young."

Deimos turned red and turned to Sanford angrily. "Will you just PLEASE stop holding that over my back bro!"

Sanford turned back to Deimos with the same response. "Only if you shut the hell up about that time Hank threw up on me! Damion still thinks I got 'barf' germs all over me!"

Deimos laughed. "I know right! Isn't it cool?"

Sanford smacked him on the top of his head. "Retard..."

Deimos grinned, not caring the least about the pain in his head. Hank walked up towards them.

"Well, how are you two doing?"

Sanford spoke first. "It's all good here."

Sanford turned to Deimos. "How 'bout you?"

Deimos crossed his arms, turning his head. "Pfft...sucks...Mary's got those damn cravings again. I mean, come on! I gotta deal with this shit for the next 6 months!? She's bustin' my balls back at home!"

Hank chuckled. He looked back up at Deimos.

"Don't worry Deimos. You'll get used to it. Plus, it'll all be worth it in the end." Hank advised him.

Deimos pouted. "You better be right Hank..."

"Have I ever lied to you before?" Hank questioned.

Deimos shot his back straight up. "Yeah you did! When you took my computer to look up your crap, and you saw my...uh..."

"Porn." Sanford finished for Deimos.

Deimos gritted his teeth and turned to Sanford. "I'm going to kick your ass..."

"Ha! As if! Wanna go another round in the boxing ring at the gym? I'll sweep your face all over the floor! Better yet, let's wait for the baby to be born first so he can see me do it!" Sanford bragged.

"You got lucky last time..." Deimos muttered.

"No I didn't. You just suck."

"YOU suck...balls..." Deimos countered weakly.

Cathy finished all the dishes. She walked into the living room and saw the TV. Cathy tapped Hank's shoulder and pointed at the news. Hank saw what was on and turned the volume up over Sanford and Deimos's arguing.

"Looks like we got more trouble waiting for us!" Hank told Sanford and Deimos, who saw the news. A robbery was taking place in the local bank. And it was a big one.

Hank pulled on his mask and armor while Sanford and Deimos waited for him. Damion ran out of the room.

"Yay! Daddy's gonna become super-Hank again!" Damion cheered.

Deimos and Sanford snickered while Hank rubbed his son's hair again. When Damion was out of the room, he glared at Sanford and Deimos.

Deimos tried hiding his smile from Hank. "Yeah, looks like daddy's gonna be super-Hank again!"

Sanford and Deimos laughed loudly while Hank stared at them, not amused by the slightest.

"Come on you dickheads..." he said as he dragged them by their collars. Cathy waved them goodbye.

* * *

The three of them drove down the street as fast as they could to the bank. It was far off, so it would take them a little while to get there.

"Wait!" Deimos suddenly yelled at Hank.

Hank shook his head from how loud Deimos was. "Christoff, Deimos...you're trying to make me go def?"

Deimos ignored Hank's joke. "Stop here for a minute! I wanna see our statue again!"

Sanford looked at Deimos with a dumbfounded look. "What!? You've seen that stupid thing twenty times before! It ain't updating itself every time we pass by here you know!"

Deimos looked at Sanford with an expression that begged him to do what he wanted.

Sanford turned away. "Fine! Look at that thing all you want! We're leaving you if you take too long!"

Deimos smiled with glee and ran out of the car. Sanford watched him run off and shook his head. Suddenly, something crossed his mind.

"Hey Hank?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you start using Christoff instead of Jebus all the time?"

Hank grinned to himself, knowing Jebus's real identity was a secret.

"It's just my thing." he lied.

* * *

Deimos ran up to the statue, watching it gleam from the sun's rays reflecting off its golden surface. Deimos smiled. The city had made this statue to reward Hank, Sanford, and Deimos for saving Utah and Nevada, and for throwing Dan into jail. Dan was somewhere off the coast of Hawaii in a large prison made only for him.

Deimos saw the three figures on top of the pedestal. It was the three of them in amazingly cool poses with guns flaring. Hank was in the middle, Sanford was at the right, and Deimos was at the left. God Deimos loved this statue so much...it was way better than any of the medals the world gave them, including the Nobel Peace Prize. But what Deimos loved even more about it was the quote written on the plaque underneath it.

Deimos went down on one knee reading it to himself. He heard Hank honk the car horn to signal him to hurry up.

Sanford stuck his head out of the window. "Deimos! Get your ass in here now!"

Deimos sighed, looking at the large memorial. Five years since that day they defeated Dan. Five years they've been free of segregation and their murderer statuses.

"DEIMOS!"

"Alright I'm coming! Jeez!" Deimos yelled back at Sanford as he ran back to the car.

Deimos sat into the back seat and they sped off. Deimos sighed in happiness, remembering the quote that gave him hope of what lies later for him.

* * *

_"Remember today, for it is the beginning of always. Today marks the start of a brave new future filled with all your dreams can hold. Think truly to the future and make these dreams come true."_

_~Anonymous_

* * *

Deimos sat back, grinning.

_Finally..._

_At long last..._

_At long, long, last..._

_They've reached it..._

_**They've reached the Final Salvation...**_

~END

* * *

(Final Credits)

Madness Combat Characters (C) Krinkels

Other OC's/ Names for Characters by Me (Spirit9871)

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A/N: Wow. So we finally made it huh? With Chapter 37, we have ended Final Salvation: probably one of the greatest accomplishments I've made in my life. Thank you all so much for following this story. It brings me to tears to say goodbye to this masterpiece, but we must eventually. With a view count of 1,558, 5 favorites, 44 reviews, and 2 followers on Saturday, November 03, 2012, this is the end.

I cannot express how amazed I am at the amount of success this story has reached in such a short amount of time. But at least I can put it under complete. Hey, don't worry, I've still got a ton of more ideas! In fact, I promise that this isn't the end! You guys want moar, then you'll see moar!

My next story will be called "Hank's Legacy: A Madness Combat Fanfiction". What it'll be about will come later, but this includes multiple OC's. One major one will be a character called Nikolai by Nikolai247, who's writing a fanfiction on currently called: "Nikolai's Legacy: A Madness Combat Fanfiction". Go check it out later if you can, because you'll need it for the next fic!

Like I promised, this is the last Reviewers Credit. That means that I can no longer post any credit publicly on this story after this chapter. Of course, I can still review people who use accounts instead of guest access via PM'ing, but guests, I will most likely not be able to respond to any reviews though. I will try, but I will have to do it through reviewing my own story for each response.

Reviewer's Credit:

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zxczxc: I have only one thing to say to that. And that is: xcxcxczxcxc. I hope that answers your question.

But seriously, please type a review that isn't written in a language from Planet X. Please? Just wanna review people and give valuable responses. I will joke with you this one time though only cause I'm in a good mood.

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Sacrom574: Thank you so much bro! Your reviews really lifted my ass off the couch and placed my ass in front of a computer to inspire me to write more! I love your fics too, and I'm so happy you've stuck with me to the end.

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Kagami: Thanks for the compliment on the MC4 reference! I'm glad people caught on to that! And also, thank you so much for saying that this was your favorite fic! I hope you'll read my other ones too, cause you're definitely one of my favorite reviewers.

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Nikolai247: Oh God. How could I forget you man? You were my first ever reviewer that helped boost this story up! And yeah, although this is sorta of a happy ending, Dan did still stay evil, so in a sense, it's not completely like a fairy-tale ending. Though I hope you liked the outcome!

And to your P.S., yeah, the chant is symbolic, because it was from the beginning of MC4. I thought it worked well since it was 3 quotes and 3 people so that's what I came up with!

* * *

The final credits are over. I can't really believe I'm saying this, but Final Salvation is done too...At first, I was actually scared I wouldn't finish this, but thanks to you guys, you motivated me into keep going! So, I'm going to give a Special Thanks to the people who really, REALLY, helped me through the thick and thin from the start!

Special Thanks:

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Krinkels: For your AWESOME MADNESS COMBAT SERIES! I loved every bit of it, and I am doing this for you man! Keep up the ultra-violence! I can wait!

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Nikolai247: As the first reviewer, you have helped this story grow into the great piece it is today. I hope you're feeling better bro, and I am eternally grateful to your show of support!

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Kagami: I hope you always stay by my side as a main reviewer. Your reviews also helped me continue to write, so please, stay with me dude for the next story! I really hope you will always keep reading and supporting MC!

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DodgeStreaker: You've always sent back my PMs whenever I needed to talk and you've helped this fanfiction's popularity greatly! Thank you so much for always showing your love to this story, and I hope you'll like the next one.

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Sacrom574: Dude! You thought I forgot you? Hell no! Never in TWO lifetimes! You were always by my side when I needed you, and you reviewed almost every chapter, just like Nikolai and Kagami! Your writing is awesome, so I hope one day I can write almost as good as you! I'll see you in the next story! :)

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Xenophobic: For giving me such great information on Hank's, Sanford's, and Deimos's kill counts as well as their specialties! I really hope you're reading this still, and I hope you stick with me for the next story too!

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You: Yes you! You can't have special thanks unless you give credit to the people who made your story awesome! This was a blast for me to write because you guys were always there to help me out! Thank you all, and I really hope you liked this story, because the next one will be just as epic!

* * *

And that's my once-in-a-story Special Thanks. I already know what to do with Hank's Legacy, so it should be up soon!

Again, thank you all! I'm so glad people all over the world loved my stories, and I will always be eternally grateful to that. God, I don't want to end this Author's Note, but I must, otherwise you wouldn't even be reading this.

For moar Madness check out my forum and my community (links are on my profile)! Also, check out my friends' stories too! They're really good also, so I bet you'll like their writing!

*Sigh*...well that's that...might as well end it here with my last words of this story to all of you.

Thank you all and I hoped you enjoyed Final Salvation.

~Spirit9871


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